Are Those Hydromelons In Your Gerudo Top, Or Are You Actually A Vai?
by LittleBlueNayru
Summary: Revali learns that Link has hydromelons, and [insert some perverted metaphor about his Mighty Banana here]. WIP
1. Hydromelons and Molduga Guts

Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Zelda etc.

So Archive Of Our Own got to see this gem before you guys, and then I realized that this site is in dire need of some RevaLink. OTPlz.

Rule 63 (genderbending) applies in terms of our favorite Hero. I suppose that makes her the Heroine.

As well, this story takes the premise of BotW and makes a slight alteration, in the form of the Champions essentially being sealed instead of killed (stasis AU) and Link not needing a 100-year nap to save Hyrule... more like 3-5 years. Characters from BotW may still show up because it's simpler than making an equivalent number of OCs, but for the most part the setting is the same.

HAVE FUN.

Chapter 1: Hydromelons and Molduga Guts

* * *

Revali has to admit that, even if they do owe most of their success to Mipha's suggestion to Zelda, they were all supremely awesome. Especially him.

When Calamity Ganon reared his ugly, porky head, he had come prepared in ways the Champions could never have suspected. Each of them found themselves locked in a spiritual battle for control of the Divine Beasts while the Guardians rampaged against the country they were built to protect. For a few terrifying years, it seemed that the ancient evil would realize its desire to spread ruin across the land, but somehow, Zelda had managed to awaken her sealing power and Link had managed to not only come to the aid of all his fellow Champions, but also beat Ganon into oblivion.

Hyrule has some scars that needed healing, but Revali can enjoy his recently bolstered celebrity status from the comforts of his home in Rito Village.

Best of all, he can keep his encounters with Link to a minimum. Because there is no way Revali would do anything other than acknowledge that the Hylian Champion had done his job. Call it pride or obstinance or what have you (Revali would call it common sense), but he doesn't think Link needs to know that Revali maybe kind of sort of admires him. Just a little.

But when couriers from the recovering castle visit, and he hears that Urbosa has invited Zelda to Gerudo City for some well-deserved vacation and "girl time", he has two reactions.

The first is to imagine Link escorting Zelda to the gates of the city and then being promptly left to starve in the sand dunes, because everyone knows only women are allowed in the city's walls. It makes him snicker, because after all Link has done for Hyrule, he could theoretically meet his end because the Gerudo are absolute in their enforcement of this mandate. The picture gives him a good chuckle - Link huddled beneath the city walls, trying to keep warm by a campfire while roasting a meager meal of desert weeds.

The second is to imagine the Gerudo making an exception for Link. Because Revali is loathe to admit it, but Link is, after all, the Hero of Hyrule. And as Hero of Hyrule he would be afforded some exceptions. Exceptions which could potentially include being the first man ever allowed inside a women-only city, and said women marveling at his ability to be there, and then basking in Link's presence, and charisma, and fawning all over him...

Revali's not jealous. At all. He's disgusted that Link is potentially going to get all of this attention without sharing. And it's definitely not jealousy, but rather a giddy sense of party-crashing and a zeal for competition, which informs his next move.

He invites the other Champions as a cursory politeness. Daruk, however, not only respects Urbosa's mandate that this is a girls-only trip and her ability to shoot him with lightning bolts that actually hurt, but also acknowledges that he prefers his women a bit more mineralized than the ones in the city, so crashing a girl party in Gerudo town on the off chance that Link might be forming a harem has zero appeal. Revali gets a surprise when he invites Mipha, in the form of a facial expression akin to smelling sour milk that the Rito warrior had no idea the fair Zora lady was even capable of making. It occurs to Revali only then that, if she still harbors some of her once-obvious feelings for the Hylian Champion, it was more rude than polite to extend an invitation to see whether or not said Hylian was wasting away in the desert or busy forming a harem. He's fairly certain even sweet Mipha will go off on him, but she just shakes her head and tells Revali that it would be far wiser to stay away.

Wisdom is Zelda's thing, not his, so he duly notes and disregards that advice and packs for his flight to Gerudo City.

The desert winds don't agree with him at all. No amount of wind has any excuse for being this blisteringly hot or full of sand. He's going to need a good long bath to get sand out of places between his wings he didn't even know he had, and he's going to need to stock up on chillshrooms for the flight back, because even though his speed is only improved by flying, he's still downing chilly elixirs like they're the only source of fluid for miles in this goddess-forsaken desert. The only solace is that the thick sands disguise his approach and give him plenty of time to plan his next move.

Revali is savvy enough to realize that strutting up to the front gates will attract more attention than landing somewhere out of the way, so he swoops in behind the palace lower than the guards can see and begins scouting for any route of ingress, while listening for any word of Urbosa's whereabouts. Walking about for longer than necessary grates on an aerial ace such as him, but he keeps in mind his ultimate goal and decides that whether or not he ends up laughing at Link's misfortune or usurping his Gerudo harem solely for kicks, it will all be worth it.

He's passing along the area of the palace perimeter which apparently runs against the private bathhouse when he hears the Princess' voice and stealthily comes to a standstill.

"Urbosa, look at that unruly mane of hair and tell me we don't need to cut it."

Revali's frantically covering snickers at the thought of Urbosa getting a haircut until Urbosa replies.

"If you'd been running around in the wild for the last couple of years fighting to save your kingdom, _you_ would have less than perfect hair as well, Princess. ...That said, we're here and we've got time, so we might as well give you a haircut- oh, don't give me that look."

That causes Revali's face to scrunch up in confusion. Was Zelda referring to her own hair? The Rito warrior will freely admit that the Princess possesses both beauty and grace in abundance, and he can't possibly imagine a situation where Zelda's hair could turn into an "unruly mane". Although... the way Urbosa phrased it...

"Zelda and I are going to get enough salves and shears to sort your hair out, and if we find out you've climbed over the wall to escape, I'll make Ganon look like a child's playdate," Urbosa threatens in deceptively pleasant tones. Revali reminds himself for about the ten thousandth time to never irritate Urbosa. However, that confirms it – Link is in the city with them (which would make him squawk, if he weren't a highly composed and disciplined warrior) and about to be subjected to what could potentially transform into all manner of feminine makeover.

It's here that Link's inability (or unwillingness?) to communicate using more than subtle shifts in facial expression and the occasional grunt work against him.

Seeing Link get dolled up _almost_ beats the possibility of a Gerudo harem.

Revali makes sure that Urbosa and Zelda have left to find the war weapons they'll need to go up against this veritable "mane" of hair the Hero possesses, and then he alights to the top of the wall and subtly makes his way around the perimeter so that he is directly behind Link. The Rito takes pause at the amount of scars on Link's back and decides that, in acknowledgement of the Hero's often agonizing and thankless efforts for Hyrule, he will _slightly_ moderate his teasing. But overall, he agrees with the two ladies. Link's hair is an atrocious mane. It only hangs down to his shoulder blades, but the tangles are evident even from up here. The twinge of pity Revali feels for the poor boy not being able to find time to properly groom himself is enough for the Rito to decide to tone down his teasing slightly more.

But there will still be teasing, and lots of it.

"Well well, sounds like you're on the chopping block for a makeover. I can't wait to see the outcome."

Revali actually gets a shocked gasp-noise out of the Hero, which pleases him immensely. Revali even gets a full-fledged expression of surprise as well - wide eyes and mouth in a small O-shape, and even a furious blushing, which is more expression than Revali anticipated, or ever saw at any point before or during the war against the Calamity.

Revali also gets far more than he bargained for when Link whips around to face him, arms frantically flying up to cover his chest-

... which should _not_ have what amounts to two _hydromelons_ attached to it.

Whatever Revali wants to say dies in his throat as he searches for something else to say, and for something else to look at. But it's hard to distract himself from a revelation of this scale, especially when the evidence is looming large (quite literally) right in front of his eyes, and how did Link ever manage to hide _those_? And then he realizes that steam disperses quite readily in the dry desert air.

And Revali starts to say something else. It might have ended up as a snarky comment, or a joke, or something vaguely flirtatious, or even a sincere apology, but he doesn't manage to get a single word out, because in a frighteningly fluid motion, Link reaches for a bowl containing actual hydromelons, pegs one at Revali with Goron-tier strength, and nails him right between the eyes.

The greatest warrior of the Rito drops like a sack of bricks, tumbling off the roofside and into the middle of the stall that happens to be selling Molduga guts. The heavy odor hits his nostrils at the same time the merchant starts shrieking silly, and through the haze of confused thoughts he hears another woman yelling, "Guards! A voe has snuck inside the city!"

His last thought is that Molduga guts better not stain clothing or feathers, because that will be a bitch to clean tomorrow.

* * *

End Chapter 1


	2. Molduga Guts and Hearty Meals

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda etc.

2017/04/30: I'm so glad some people took notice of this story! It is a pretty niche pairing market, after all. I wanted to update this story once a week until it caught up with the AO3 version or until the story ended, but meh, it's close enough. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Chapter 2: Molduga Guts and Hearty Meals

* * *

When Revali wakes up in a bed, it takes him surprisingly little time to remember why that in itself is surprising, because seeing an unexpected pair of hydromelons before getting concussed by a third leaves quite the impression. He supposes he should thank the goddess that he woke up at all, because that means he's not dead, and if he ended up here, then someone moved him, and Urbosa knows, and never mind damn everything, she probably just let him wake up so he would be conscious when she kills him.

Urbosa is evil.

He is almost thankful when his mind supplies him with a reminder that he fell into Molduga guts, because freaking out about his feathers is a welcome distraction from why things went from normal to confusing to deadly in the space of half a day. Unfortunately, Molduga guts get about twice as pungent when left to soak into feathers over the course of said half a day, and Revali steels himself to assess the damages.

Hydromelon juice, Molduga bile, sand. In his feathers, in his clothes, in the bedsheets. Three for three, twice over. Awesome. A lesser Rito warrior might have cried. Revali merely sniffles once or thrice in mourning. For so long he has kept his feathers soft and smooth and shimmering and luscious and beautiful and now they are utterly ruined. This is probably the most tragic thing to ever happen to anyone in the history of the world. Perhaps it's better if Urbosa kills him after all.

But even Revali has run out of energy for being a drama queen, so he gives the world a loud _HMPH_ to let it know how displeased it makes him, and then he searches for a tub, some water, and some soap. When he finds those, he prepares himself a much more compact bath than he's used to and begins the long, arduous process of cleaning his feathers and clothes, and tries to immerse himself in the task.

Unfortunately, once his feathers are manageable (he's going to have to slink back into Rito village unseen, somehow procure some better soap, and figure out a way to get this wretched bile out - this is so humiliating), that leaves his clothes, and cleaning his clothes is a much more repetitive task, which leaves his mind to wander.

Back to hydromelons. And how Link has a nice pair. And how everything is pointless because he's going to die, but he doesn't really want to because this is quite curious, and intriguing, and there is truly no one in Hyrule with a more complicated life than Revali.

And then Urbosa and Zelda and Link all barge in, and one look at Zelda's face makes Revali wonder if this latest stunt was really so bad that the Goddess had to forsake him to the Dark World. He squawks indignantly at the intrusion and quickly throws his sopping wet and still-dirty robes back on, and decides not to press the issue about people barging in on him when he's naked because he thinks dying painfully once is enough. All three of them at least have the decency to give him a moment, which only makes him feel like more of a cuckoo.

There's silence for a long moment and Revali gauges the three of them. Urbosa is clearly having trouble deciding whether she's annoyed or amused. Zelda has no such conflict, expression stormy enough to rival the scourge of Vah Naboris. Link is once again a blank slate - although Revali notes the Hero is wearing a shorter, cleaner, (cuter) haircut, and a traditional Gerudo outfit that neither advertises nor conceals the two hydromelons he saw before.

While Link maintains silence, Zelda searches unsuccessfully for words, and Revali glances uncertainly between the three of them, Urbosa takes it upon herself to break the silence. "So... what the hell."

Revali coughs. "It uh... wasn't what it looked like?"

"Oh, really," Zelda begins with a positively dangerous saccharine smile. "Because from what Lyn tells us, what it looked like is that you were trying to _spy on me in the bath_."

So, her name's Lyn, then? "Well, actually, I was more just trying to spy on... Lyn, be-"

"Oh, that makes it better?"  
"... And... why, exactly?"  
"...?!"

Zelda, Urbosa, and "Lyn", in that order. Revali chances a look at each of their faces. Unfortunately, he quickly comes to the conclusion that blushes look rather nice on Lyn's face.

And that, in turn, derails any attempt to do more than construct a white lie. "When I heard that the three of you were headed out here for vacation, I became curious about how Link would be allowed inside this city. So I came to investigate." No need to elaborate on his other reasons for following them.

For a long moment, the three women can manage little more than to stare at the Rito champion with incredulity. Zelda scoffs and rolls her eyes. Lyn decides the floor's tile patterns are supremely interesting. Urbosa draws out a long sigh and rubs her temples. "You're a real idiot."

"I-" Revali pauses. "You know what, in this case I won't even attempt to deny it. Because why is any of this," and he waves his wings at the room in general, "even happening?"

"I assume you mean why Lyn styles herself as the Hero of Hyrule instead of the Heroine of Hyrule, when the more accurate question would be why you're such a hopeless idiot in all things, "Urbosa offers dryly. "Obviously, the first one's on a need-to-know basis, and you, even more obviously, did not need to know."

"But he does now," Zelda sighs. Then she fixes Revali with a terrifying gaze, and Urbosa quickly backs her up with a nonchalant expression that threatens entire worlds of pain should the Princess' decree fall on deaf ears. "And this is still on a need-to-know basis, so you will say precisely nothing to anyone who may ask, unless given explicit permission from either Lyn or I to do so."

"Understood, Your Highness." The fewer words Revali has to choke out, the less chance any of it comes out as a thoroughly cowed squeak.

"Good," Zelda replies sweetly. "And with that out of the way, it's time to decide how you die."

Damn it.

"Urbosa, since this is your city, and your sacred rule broken, I think it's fair that you deserve to punish him first."

"Why, thank you, Princess."

"Wait, you're taking turns?!" Revali squawks.

"Well, you have caused offense to all of us to varying degrees," Urbosa quips. "Such as ignoring the ancient law of this city that no voe enter, breaking into palace grounds, and trying to spy on the bath. You're lucky I had you moved here instead of thrown out once I heard the commotion. Buliara gave me enough grief for letting you stay in the city. So, first things first. This entire room smells like a Molduga ate you, realized too late that you're far too disagreeable to be edible, and spat you back up. So clean it. From top to bottom. Until it shines."

That, at least, is fair. Revali would have pitched a fit if anyone had messed up his own nest in such a manner. "Fine," he grumbles. "But I've been trying to work on this for about an hour now, and I need better soap if I'm going to get anywhere."

"Fine, whatever, I'll get you some soap." Urbosa is clearly entirely done with this conversation. "Just get it done. And when you're done, ring the bell outside of the room and someone will come and get me. The rest of us will be around, enjoying your suffering from somewhere that smells a little less revolting."

With that, the Gerudo chieftain practically sashays out of the room, Zelda following her with a smirk and Lyn trailing both of them, almost timidly.

Zelda ends up being the one to deliver the box full of soap to the guest room with the smarmiest grin ever grinned plastered on her face. Revali takes back every thought he's ever had about how beautiful and graceful and wise the Princess is. She's clearly learned far too much from Urbosa. She should take her cues from Mipha. Mipha is nice, Mipha would never subject him to such torture (well, maybe not never, but definitely not as readily as these two), Mipha is-

"Say, does Mipha... know?"

The question takes Zelda by surprise, and the princess blinks before the question registers. "Yes. In fact, now that you've bumbled your way into this mess, Daruk is the only Champion who doesn't." Her face turns thoughtful at that. "Maybe Lyn should just tell him..."

The answer only raises more questions, but before Revali can ask any of them, she shoves the box of soap into his hands. "No more talking. Urbosa says if the room isn't spotless by dinner, she'll destroy your ability to have descendants and then haunt them all for eternity anyway. So get to work."

Revali gets to work.

Revali isn't terrified of Urbosa's threats, not in the least. He just doesn't want to miss dinner. That's the only reason why he puts as much effort into scrubbing down the room as he did defeating Calamity Ganon. That, and he just happens to like complete and perfect cleanliness more than the thought of his blood staining the walls. He finishes in time for dinner, and he's utterly exhausted by the time he rings the bell.

Urbosa comes up, and after a long inspection of the room, slowly raises an eyebrow. "If this is how you normally clean, I might hire you to do the rest of the city."

"You c-" What Revali wants to say is "you couldn't pay me enough", but he shuts his beak, because he realizes that he is a premium Rito specimen, and it would be the gravest heresy to lose his ability to contribute his legacy to his tribe. Fortunately, his stomach saves him from having to continue that sentence, because it roars with a vengeance and Urbosa smirks. "Come on. Dinner's ready."

They walk together in silence, because neither one feels particularly chatty, and Revali knows that the Gerudo Champion is the least likely to offer answers to any of the questions burning in his mind. When they reach Urbosa's private dining hall, Revali almost faints at the aroma. It might have been the relief from smelling Molduga guts and bitter soap all day, but he's so hungry he could eat everything plus the cooking pot.

Lyn is the one tending to the pot, and definitely doesn't skimp on adding hearty truffles to whatever the main part of the meal is. She's also using the pot lid as a shield, because Zelda has taken the Sheikah Slate back for the time being and insistently suggests on adding an icy Lizalfos tail to see if a heat-resistant effect gets conferred on their meal.

Terrifying.

"We're back," Urbosa says a little louder than necessary, probably sharing Revali's line of thought. Zelda immediately sets the Slate aside and tries and fails to hide a wicked grin that sends shivers down Revali's spine. Lyn breathes a sigh of relief that she no longer has to bat away monster parts from the cooking pot, but turns fidgety the second she takes note of the Rito warrior, and all the questions he wants to ask come surging back.

But first, FOOD.

And it's fish, which he's extremely thankful for, because while steak is acceptable he refuses to touch poultry. Urbosa and Zelda carry on most of the conversation, because Lyn is still a glutton and Revali is still starving and both of them are shoveling down unholy amounts of food that would terrify lesser warriors.

Revali has finally gotten rid of the aching emptiness in his stomach and leans in to relax against some pillows when Zelda perks up. "So, Revali, are you ready to die again?"

"No," he groans, and lets his head flop back for good measure. "I truly am sorry about the trouble I've caused. I promise to keep this entire debacle a secret-" (Urbosa smirks, because she's definitely telling Daruk about the Molduga guts, and Revali knows this, and oh, how he hates Urbosa) "-and I've cleaned up my mess, so I think perhaps it would be best if I take my leave and never speak of any of this again."

"That's surprisingly astute of you, dear Champion of Wind. However, you did cause trouble for all three of us, so all three of us get to cause trouble for you. And my punishment for you is that you must remain here in the city with us until we return to the castle."

Such a deceptively non-threatening punishment couldn't be more suspicious if it came from a Yiga member whose disguise consisted of a piece of paper reading "I am not a Yiga member". So Revali doesn't like the desert - the days are too hot and the winds are too full of sand and the land is too sparse on water, but they are still essentially keeping him around in an all-women city on a girls-only holiday and he's not even in a dungeon. Urbosa's been teaching Zelda way too much about colorful, horrific threats for there to not be a catch. So he sighs. "And what's the catch?"

"Lyn's punishment, of course!"

"... oh."

Little Miss Hero of Hyrule has earned her title. Single-handedly smiting Hinoxes and Lynels and Guardians and Calamity Ganon and roughing it in the wild for years on end have made her tough, and even though Revali takes pride in his skill as a warrior, he much prefers the Hylian Champion as an ally. His mind races. Is she going to skewer him? Use him for bomb arrow target practice? Rip off his feathers one by one and stitch them into a hat? He's almost too scared to look at her.

Lyn's still not quite making eye contact with him, either, but she glances up shyly, and for a split second her lips twitch upward in a smile. With a small flourish, she produces a second Gerudo outfit, and a small amount of makeup. Revali blinks.

"Congratulations, Revali. You're about to get the full-scale vai makeover!" Zelda cheers.

Revali dies inside.

* * *

Rest in pudding, Revali. We shall miss you.

Can you feel the irony, Revali? Revali? Helllloooooo...?


	3. Hearty Meals and Skipped Heartbeats

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda etc.

And here's where the initial crackness that fueled the beginning of the story starts to give way to Revali Is Still The Buttmonkey But Also He Starts Feeling Feelings And Doesn't Like It.

It's still amazingly glorious though.

In regards to Lyn's name, the first time I saw that Hyrule Warriors had a character named Linkle I was like :I you fuckin shittin me right now boi. Lyn is a nice name, while Linkle manages to try too hard while also not try at all.  
(Although in Super Smash Bros, I have a tendency to make Link wear the light-purple variant of his tunic just so I can call him Perilinkle so I'm just a filthy hypocrite :3)

Chapter 3: Hearty Meals and Skipped Heartbeats

* * *

The Goddess gives Revali one night of mercy, because Zelda gleefully declares that giving Revali the full vai makeover will take too much time to accomplish after dinner. He cherishes every moment in the clean guest room that doesn't involve him in women's clothes wearing women's makeup. And he totally doesn't end up having very confused dreams involving hydromelons.

The second morning he wakes up in the guest room makes up for the first in terms of smell and comfort level, but it's almost worse in that he knows exactly how he's going to die this time. So he enjoys the morning while he can.

When the desert isn't scorching hot, the city view from the window is actually nice to look at. It's a bit disconcerting to see only women strolling around, and Revali has a hard time reminding himself that this is one of the primary reasons why he even flew out here. Yesterday seems so long ago.

And then Zelda kicks the door in and drags Revali to hell.

Hell happens to be the exact same bathhouse that got him in so much trouble yesterday. Urbosa and Lyn are already there, with a variety of grooming tools that suddenly resemble instruments of torture more than anything else. Before he can get a word in edgewise, they throw him in the bath and all but jump him, scrubbing the remaining nastiness out of his feathers. Revali can't even enjoy it because the pressure required to get all of the dried _awful_ out chafes against his skin.

They let him take care of the more personal parts on his own, taking advantage of the break to stew up some chilly simmered fruits. Lyn ends up commandeering the pot when Zelda suggests winterwing butterflies instead of icy lizalfos tails, and Urbosa ends up engaging Zelda in debate over the merits of insects in normal food just to keep her occupied and preserve the sanctity of breakfast.

Revali listens to it all and shivers. Sure, the Rito do have insect dishes, but they choose specific insects and don't mix them with other foods. The Wind Champion hopes that the royal chef went on vacation right before the Calamity hit, because Zelda needs cooking lessons _badly_.

By the time he's completely clean, Revali has lost too many feathers for his liking, and a good deal of their soft silky sheen will take some time to recover, and he almost sniffles again before remembering that he is the strongest warrior of the Rito and also in the presence of people who will mock him for it endlessly. His only solace is that the next phase of this terrible makeover will fix any feathers sticking out at odd angles, because even though he's going to look like a vai, he's going to look like a _cute_ vai. The three ladies once again go on the offensive, with the Rito equivalent of hairbrushes made for the express purpose of sorting out feathers and barbs. Thankfully it's much less painful than the scrubbing, so Revali finds that if he sits still and tries not to let the occasional tug bother him, he can close his eyes and zone out and think about other things.

Unfortunately, "other things" has changed a lot in the last two days, so where before he might have thought about the leadership in Rito Village and his future there, or the rebuilding efforts in the rest of the Kingdom, or even how saving the world doesn't make Link the hottest thing since curry at the top of Death Mountain but he's still kind of cool but he doesn't need to know that, now he's too confused to ponder any one of those at length.

He finds his thoughts drifting in regards to how utterly unreal this entire trip has been, and then comes to and finds that he zoned out to the drone of Urbosa and Zelda talking, and... some light humming.

His eyes roll backwards, to find Lyn sitting behind him carefully working on his braids, humming a short tune dominated by a three-note refrain. He keeps quiet for a few minutes, just listening. Not because the humming is pleasant or soothing or cute or anything like that, but because he wants to gauge it by Rito standards. The Rito are, after all, the best musicians in Hyrule, and while Rito women tend more towards singing where men choose instruments, Revali decided long ago that as the best of the Rito, he would simply have to be the best at _all_ things Rito and applied his efforts to both pursuits. He wonders if that actual hydromelon to the face is part of the reason he deems the hummed song... _nice_.

"I didn't know you could carry a tune," he remarks off-hand, and Lyn immediately stops. As do Urbosa and Zelda. Revali waits for Lyn to say something, and then remembers that he has never heard a single word from the Hero, and wonders if that's by choice. But Lyn's gone back to fidgety and embarrassed and Zelda's warning look is growing increasingly severe, so he backtracks. "It was good. Coming from a Rito, that's high praise," he assures, but it doesn't seem to have any effect.

"Idiot." Urbosa rolls her eyes.

Revali almost fights back - because really, what did he do _this_ time? - but one does not simply confront Urbosa.

"It looks like we've done all we can for your feathers, so now let's continue with the rest of the makeover," Zelda nearly sings with glee. It doesn't matter to her that no self-respecting Rito wears lipstick, or that the dusty makeup that works on Hylian and Gerudo skin simply makes an itchy mess on Rito feathers, because Revali finds himself sporting both of those, plus some experimental skin-paint on his legs. Thankfully, Zelda hasn't been so cruel as to choose colors that would clash with his plumage (she had been on the verge of picking out some riotously loud pinks to clash with some night-glow greens), and the violet shades can pass as natural if passersby don't look too closely.

Once they finish with this stage of the makeover, Zelda takes far too many pictures of Revali with her Sheikah Slate, and Urbosa reminds her that Daruk and Mipha will definitely get to see these when they head back to the capital. Revali gets a short reprieve while Urbosa goes to search for a variety of outfits to force Revali to try on.

And then Revali gets a three-hour reminder about why shopping for clothes with ladies who take interest in fashion is probably one of the worst things ever, because at first they merely throw outfits at him, take pictures of him wearing them, and giggle uncontrollably, but the longer this continues, the more they begin thoughtfully examining each individual piece of the outfits and suggesting different combinations, critiquing each one for far longer than necessary. Considering how much attention he puts into his grooming on his own time, it actually causes him to reel with disbelief that he's been so upstaged in the caring-about-my-own-aesthetics arena, and he tries to pretend that he isn't actually listening to some of their critique for later consideration when he is allowed to sport his preferred _voe_ Rito outfits.

Most Gerudo are finishing up lunch by the time the three of them finish with Revali's vai makeover, and Zelda and Urbosa immediately begin plotting ways to make this more uncomfortable for him. They send him into the jewelry store, which doesn't have quite the intended effect - Revali finds himself quite interested in the circlets and earrings for sale (because they're functional, not because they're attractive, obviously) and starts haggling with the owners over pricing for the sapphire circlet. It takes about half an hour of angry-straining-falsetto-vai-voice, a ruby, and more Rupees than Revali cared to fork over before he marches out of the store with his prize, and all of the triumph he feels over acquiring the heat-resistant jewelry evaporates when he sees Urbosa doubled over with laughter and Zelda recording the entire debacle.

(He's so miffed that he ends up flying to the springs at the top of Gerudo city just to mope all alone, and it takes Lyn climbing up with a note from Zelda promising that they'll leave the city the day after tomorrow for him to come back down.)

They end up going to the Noble Canteen to reward Revali for being a relatively good sport, and Revali gets treated to both a Noble Pursuit courtesy of Urbosa, and the amusement of seeing the bartender deny to serve Lyn in kind. It's probably for the best, though, because Revali won't admit that he can't hold his liquor as well as he claims, and he's not sure about the prospects of anything good happening if even one member of this dysfunctional foursome gets drunk. Revali has to hand it to the bar, though, that their signature drink is refreshing, goes down sufficiently strong, and manages to pull off a decent flavor, so if he ever finds himself in this hellhole desert again, he'll definitely make a point of coming here, no matter how feminine he has to disguise himself to get in.

Zelda wants to force Revali into the Hotel Oasis spa, while Urbosa insists he learn how to sand seal surf, but the haggling and the moping and the drinking have eaten up the last of the daylight hours, and they're all forced to retreat to the palace for another dinner courtesy of Lyn, who seems really attached to cooking pots in general. This time, she takes extreme measures to save dinner and hides her sack with all her insect and monster specimens with Urbosa. Dinner is a less dangerous affair for Revali's mortality than the previous night, and while Revali and Lyn still try to out-glutton each other, Urbosa and Zelda discuss more mundane matters, such as making preparations for their trip back to Hyrule Castle in two days.

Revali thinks that perhaps tomorrow will be less exciting.

Revali has learned exactly nothing.

* * *

Someone is shaking him awake...

"Come on, mom. Five more minutes..." he groans.

Silence. And then unabashed giggling.

Revali opens one eye blearily and finds Lyn almost doubled over, although her giggles have given way to silent laughter. Revali squawks and jumps straight up, and then trips over the blankets and crashes on the floor. He hears a couple more titters of laughter, higher-pitched and overall not anywhere even remotely close to the discordant din he expected of anyone who would dare laugh at him. He squashes that almost-complimentary thought with all the mercy he would show a cockroach because he's not going to think that, and also the last time he pointed out that Lyn had made any noise at all, much less that the noise was even euphonious, she had retreated into her shell again, and Revali wants to coax her out of it, not-

... oh.

Oh _shit_.

Revali squashes the thought again. Harder. And meets resistance.

"Yes?" he says, a bit more forcefully than he intended, in an effort to clear his head.

Lyn still looks amused as she hands him a slip of paper. Another note from Zelda, this time informing Revali that while Urbosa and Zelda take care of the preparations for their departure tomorrow, he is to spend the day with Lyn, learning some basic desert skills. He studies the heavily bolded order that **he will enjoy himself** and sighs. "It looks like I'm going to learn how to ride a sand seal as well as learn to love sand rubbing up against crevices I didn't even know existed," he comments in a tone as dry as the desert itself, and is rewarded for his effort with a twinkle of amusement in Lyn's eyes that sets him back to squashing mental cockroaches.

A bit grudgingly, Revali foregoes his normal clothing for a mishmash of Gerudo pieces from the day before (Revali still has some of his pride, though, and he makes sure that they all work well together), and the two Champions make their way to the outer wall of the city where a rather lanky Gerudo is giving pointers on how to wrangle wild sand seals. Her eyes light up when she sees Lyn, and she immediately calls her other two students to attention to introduce them to "the best Hylian sand seal wrangler I've ever seen."

"I'm glad you've decided to visit us again!" she says. "Are you here to show these two hopeless voe how it's done? Oh, and you brought a friend-" The woman studies Revali for a long moment, and for a few tense seconds he stays perfectly still, wondering if she's seen through his disguise. He is a _beautiful Rito vai_ , and how dare anyone say otherwise. But she merely gives him a perplexed look and says, "I've never seen a Rito try to learn to surf. Huh... Anyway," she turns back to Lyn, "go ahead and show them how it's done."

The Hero nods, and sets her sights on one of the wild sand seals lounging outside of the city. Her movements are clearly practiced as she lightly jogs behind it and then slows down to a nearly silent crouch-walk right before she attracts its attention. Revali manages to pay attention and even finds himself interested until he hears his two fellow students whispering to themselves.

"Man, she looks like she's really good at this."

"Oh, Ms. Boots is amazing! Not only is she skilled, but she's strong! And beautiful to boot! ... oh, that was an awful pun..."

"... Uh, boots? Wha- Oh, wow."

Lyn manages to latch on to the sand seal in one go, positioning her shield under her with a fluid motion and taking off across the sands towards the Kara Kara Bazaar in the distance. The Gerudo woman teaching them shouts some praise after her before turning to her students, but Revali finds himself engrossed in the whispered conversation.

"See how amazing she is?! That's Ms. Boots for you!"

"Why are you calling her Ms. Boots? I'll bet a gold Rupee that that's not her name."

"Well, she wanted a rare pair of boots I had, so we traded some things. I was actually surprised she went somewhere as dangerous as Gerudo Highlands just to get a picture in exchange for my boots, but she can handle herself. I just wish she had let me ask her out on a date, though. I'll try again after this!"

And Revali finds himself thinking several expletives, and then the mantra _squish the mental cockroaches not the ones in front of me_ , and then several expletives that he's thinking the mantra, and finally _how did my life get so confusing in three days_.

Truly, there is no one in Hyrule with a more complicated life than Revali.

* * *

End Chapter 3

Yes, Revali. Feel things. FEEEEEEEEL THIIIIIIIIINGS.

I almost had Urbosa force Revali to attend Ashai's relationship lessons, but that would have been slightly too cruel on top of everything. Maybe next time!


	4. Skipped Heartbeats and Ruffled Feathers

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

I didn't mean to take so long with this chapter, so I'll probably post one each day this weekend in order to try and catch up with AO3.

Warning: Less crack and more mood whiplash this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 4: Skipped Heartbeats and Ruffled Feathers

No cockroaches, mental or otherwise, get squished that day, although Revali really wishes he had managed to squish one. Or both. Or all of them. The more annoying man-cockroach (Bozai, Revali learns, and he decides that if he's ever selected to become chieftain of the Rito he will outlaw his people from naming their children Bozai forever) does indeed ask Lyn out when she returns from the Bazaar. And even though he gets the sharpest shake of the head in response, he still waxes poetic about how he hopes one day she will allow him to take her on a date. Or grace him with her name.

Revali tells himself that he's pleased by the rebuke because this _Bozo_ character is a desperate flapping nobody, and Lyn is the Hero of Hyrule and she can do much better (but he has to stop his thoughts there, because they start to stray into the territory of eligible bachelors and that is introspection Revali cannot deal with right now).

He does eventually manage to successfully surf on a sand seal, which would have surprised him were he anyone less than Revali, Champion of Wind and greatest warrior of the Rito. He even manages to maneuver well enough that he challenges Lyn to several races to arbitrary markers, but a first-timer challenging a veteran never ends well and he's sure that somehow the other Champions are going to find out about these losses eventually.

Revali also manages to get out of going to the spa by taking up too much time surfing, and the desert air has started to chill with the night by the time the two Champions trudge back to the palace.

When they reach Urbosa's private rooms, a smell that could at best be described as acrid hits their noses, and for once Revali regrets that Rito have a superior sense of smell to the other races of Hyrule. He's almost afraid to open the door, but Lyn, who has never even heard of the words "afraid" or "caution" in her life, throws it wide open.

Zelda crouches over the cooking pot, and something black is smoking and curdling at the bottom. The look on her face is positively heartbreaking, and while Urbosa cleans out the pot, Lyn hurries over to pat Zelda on the back.

"I told you that you weren't going to get the ultimate cooling meal by mixing winterwings, cold darners, frost monster parts, cool saffina, and chillshrooms together," Urbosa reminds her gently.

Zelda's face is the picture of disappointment. "But all of those components have cooling effects, so logic dictates that the resulting combination would form a super-chilling dish, not... this."

Lyn gives Zelda another pat on the back and a reassuring smile, and instead of taking over with the cuisine like she has for the past two nights, she has Zelda take out the Sheikah Slate to consult some of the recipes she discovered on her travels, and watches patiently as Zelda works through them on her own. Revali thinks that dinner is fine but maybe it would have been better without the interference of remnant dubious food, but knows better than to say as much given how happy Zelda looked when it came out looking appetizing.

It occurs to Revali that the two Hylians, sitting together, could pass for sisters in companionship if not in resemblance. He's not sure how he feels about that.

All of them decide that going to sleep early in preparation for the walk to the canyon stable is a good idea, and they retire almost immediately after dinner. Revali ends up lying awake thinking thoughts he doesn't want to think.

Four days ago, if someone asked him how he felt about The Hero, Link, he might have scoffed and answered with his usual diffidence about how Link had skill... and a lot of luck. If Revali were absolutely serious, then he might have admitted some admiration for his fellow Champion. With an army of Guardians, Four Divine Beasts, and the incarnation of evil against him and no allies to help him, Link had liberated the rest of his fellow Champions, defeated the Calamity Ganon, rescued Princess Zelda, and saved Hyrule. Revali could not honestly say that he would have succeeded if the task had been left up to him. Sure, the Hero's silence and near-emotionless demeanor and inability to rise to Revali's challenges irked someone as outgoing as he, but the trials had transformed Link from a knight of notable skill into a formidable, legendary warrior.

Now Revali knows that Link is Lyn, although he has no idea why the subterfuge exists or how to find out answers. And this changes everything. And nothing. Both, neither, ugh, this is too confusing to be thinking about.

Why is this such a problem to think about?

He doesn't know.

* * *

The next day he finds out.

Urbosa has them rise with the sun in order to beat the desert heat, and as a courtesy, Revali even chooses to not fly ahead, and walks with them. They stop at the Kara Kara Bazaar for breakfast, and everything is going well until Bozai jogs up to their cooking pit.

"Ms. Boots! I didn't think I'd- o-oh. Your Highness. Greetings!"

Revali internally puffs up at the change in Bozai's demeanor, and Zelda hides a sigh at being interrupted. "Hello. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance?"

"My name is Bozai, Your Highness," Bozai says in a breathless rush. "I study the Gerudo legends. Your friend Ms. Boots here actually found out where the statue of the Eighth Heroine and her forgotten sword are!"

Zelda is enough of a scholar that she is genuinely interested, but Urbosa is practically electric. "They aren't just myths? Do you still have the pictures, Lyn?"

Lyn obligingly hands over the Sheikah Slate for Urbosa and Zelda to browse through, while Bozai lights up and tries to engage Lyn in conversation. "So, you're name's Lyn? I guess I have to stop calling you Ms. Boots now. But that's like our thing, you know? Especially since- oh, I wanted to have the Heroine and the Sword be our little secret, something like a bond we share. Well, I'm still glad I could contribute to the rescue of ancient history!"

By that point Bozai notices that Revali has him caught in a rather hostile stare, and something about the Rito warrior's intimidating appearance, or his Great Eagle Bow, or the fact that his emerald eyes are narrowed to slits, makes Bozai beat a hasty retreat. "Well, it looks like you and your friends are busy, so I'll let you get back to your conversation." He still throws out a wink. "I hope to see you back at the city soon, my hungry little boot monster!" And with that, he jogs off back to Gerudo City.

Lyn blinks after him, but her attention is quickly claimed by their food, since the chillshrooms are starting to simmer. Revali scoffs. "What a fool that man was."

Lyn looks up with what might pass as curiosity.

"From what I've seen of him he's rather pathetic," Revali explains in a snide tone. "Sending you to the Highlands to get a picture in exchange for some shoes, just because he can't handle the trek himself. Weak. No sense of honor."

The look on Lyn's face changes to something close to perplexity.

"You don't think so? I'm not sure how you put up with him anyway. I'm a bit curious about this whole boots thing as it is. Why would you go all the way to Gerudo Highlands just for some shoes?" He doesn't really expect Lyn to answer, and she almost looks apologetic for the Bozo. But since he's focused on figuring out why she doesn't just reject him a century into the future, he misses Zelda looking up from the Slate to study their interactions.

Zelda is quite a perceptive scholar, after all. "How's the food, Lyn?"

A heaping plate of cooked mushrooms is her reply, and Revali grumbles as he munches on his food, convincing himself that he isn't bothered by a fellow Champion allocating way too much time to someone who doesn't deserve it.

They move on quickly to beat the worst of the desert heat, and manage to reach the shade of the stables by the middle of the day. Their lunch break is short, partially because of an older gentleman lurking around Lyn asking if she has "any more goods". (Revali almost launches himself at the man - purely out of irritation that they're being interrupted, mind you, and not because he thinks that's creepy - but then Lyn procures some rushrooms and the man gives her a hefty sum of money and some space.)

(Of course, it leaves her wide open to several disbelieving shakes of the head that she got herself tangled up with that sort of person over the course of her crusade.)

Zelda and Lyn both have horses boarded at the stable, and Urbosa rents one and Revali passes because sitting on a horse is uncomfortable and he would honestly rather walk than ride. Or fly ahead, but he finds himself engrossed in the conversation unfolding before he can take off.

"You know, I haven't been through the pass in quite a few years. And the last time I was out here in the desert was to study Vah Naboris. Then there was that run-in with the Yiga. I suppose we are close to their hideout in Karusa Valley, aren't we? There's quite a few notes added to the Slate now. Let's see... the Bokoblins were harassing some travelers? And... some Gorons are manning a test of will by a hidden shrine... What?"

"Knowing the Gorons, it's probably something like lifting a heavy boulder or withstanding searing heat," Urbosa remarks dryly.

"That would make sense... there's more annotations that another group of Gorons to the north, by Gut Check Rock, are doing the same thing... rather close to a black Hinox, from the looks of this," Zelda mutters. "These notes are quite detailed, Lyn. This will prove incredibly vital in rebuilding Hyrule - it greatly reduces the amount of intelligence we need to gather."

Revali catches up to Zelda's steed and browses over her shoulder as the princess scrolls through the slate's map. There's stamps littered everywhere on the ancient screen, and little notes accompanying almost all of them. Zelda seems engrossed by the information, but Revali watches the icons with bafflement. The detail betrays a near obsession with the locations of monster encampments as well as sites for new resources, and it hits Revali like a ton of ore that in order to create such a detailed analysis, Lyn had to fight, and fight, and fight...

He looks over at the brown horse ahead of Zelda's white stallion. Lyn is the Hero of Hyrule once again, with her hair mussed up enough to look more masculine, sporting the armor and Champion tunic she wore as she fought to save their world. That blank-slate expression he's grown accustomed to is back, as though fighting all of these things doesn't bother her in the least.

Revali recoils internally. He is supposed to be the Champion of the Rito, a warrior in his own right. Yet he'd been locked in stalemate with Windblight Ganon until Lyn had helped him - and all the other Champions, when there were Guardians running amok, monsters terrorizing citizens, and unspeakable evil festering within Hyrule Castle. She'd spent years fighting battle after battle, with no one to help her and no one to even lean on at the worst times, and he... had done very little in comparison.

He feels very small, and very inadequate in that moment. And very frustrated. He is the Rito Champion, their greatest warrior. And he doesn't hold a candle to the Hero.

A savage roar and terrified screams jerk him from his rumination.

He takes flight as Lyn spurs her horse forward, and some distant part of his mind registers Zelda's confused exclamation and Urbosa's warning to keep back. He's zipping through the narrow canyon faster than the others can keep up, almost at the opposite end of the pass, when he comes across the source of the trouble.

A small caravan of traders, looking extremely harassed and worse for wear, is hurtling through the canyon with a silver-maned Lynel hot on their tail. Revali tightens his beak as he draws his Great Eagle Bow. He's fought several Lynels before, and they're no joke, and he needs to avoid hitting the traders or inciting the Lynel to move in Zelda's direction. In a single fluid movement, he pulls three arrows from his quiver and lets them fly.

As fearsome a shot as Revali is, the wounds are nothing more than irritants against a Lynel that powerful. However, he successfully distracts the beast enough for the traders to get away, and he lands on a rock outcropping to stare down the behemoth as it sets its sights on him. For a long moment the beast sizes him up, and draws its own bow.

Now for the long game. He's played this game with them dozens of times before, each maneuvering at high speed around the other, firing off arrows, hoping his hit and the Lynel's miss. Where those monsters acquire their endless supply of enchanted arrows is a mystery that eludes him, but even with his limited supply Revali has still killed far more of them than vice versa, and he takes off for another round at the game.

They circle each other at high speed, with Revali keeping enough distance that the Lynel resorts to shooting arrows high into the air in the hopes that they fall on the Champion. It's a simple matter to dodge them, and with his superior maneuverability, Revali soars in circles around the scourge landing hit after hit. Cuts and wounds gradually open up on the tough hide. It will take a long time, but eventually the Lynel will come to heel...

Then Revali hears a high-pitched whinny, and the Lynel's answering roar.

He turns just in time to see Lyn leap off her horse and fire off her own salvo of arrows - bomb arrows, in fact, which actually gets the Lynel staggering. Enraged by the intrusion, it bellows and swipes its claws at horse and rider, terrifying and striking the chestnut mount. Revali leaps at the opening and prepares his next barrage when Lyn charges.

The bowstring goes slack, and he can only watch, wide-eyed, as Lyn procures a hefty claymore and starts rotating with wild abandon, landing hit after hit on the Lynel. It grunts in pain, but the recovery is swift, and it's only thanks to the claymore's momentum that Lyn finds herself outside the radius of the spear as it slams into the earth and erupts in flame. By the time the beast is sizing her up, she's recovered and ready for the next round. The Lynel lowers its maned upper body close to the ground and charges. Revali's heart seems to kickstart as the Lynel bears down on her, she's not moving, _what in the Goddess' name is she standing around for?!_ \- and in the space of a heartbeat - Revali can't see the exact motion, which startles him - Lyn has leaped out of the way and closed in again for another punishing barrage.

There's a noticeable gash on one of the Lynel's legs as it rights itself, but Revali has seen enough. This is not a game he is willing to entertain. For once he makes a bedfellow of caution as he swoops in on Lyn. "Give me your arrows!" he shouts, wing out expectantly.

His fellow Champion seems surprised, but wordlessly hands them over, and then the Lynel lets out another savage roar and swipes at them with its jagged spear.

Revali takes off and Lyn leaps over the spear, leaving about a hair's thickness between her skin and the blade that nearly causes Revali to molt on the spot. She once again manages to land several punishing blows that open more wounds, but this time she isn't so lucky and ends up blasted back by the rush of flame. Revali takes his chances and favors Lyn's arrows, heaving all manner of enhanced ones at the beast. It buys her time to get up and out of the way.

The elemental arrows do more damage than normal ones, but not by much; Lynels are infamous for their resistance to all varieties. Revali refuses to let up on the barrage and peppers the line of arrows with some of Lyn's bomb-tipped ones, and even gets his wing feathers on one tipped with vicious-looking blades that glow with blue energy. That one finds its home near the base of the Lynel's spine and causes it to double over in pain, and as Lyn closes in with her claymore he reaches for a second.

The claymore deals a deadly wound to the chest, and the second arrow pierces the back of the Lynel's skull. With several savage dying roars, the beast crumples to the ground, blackens, and withers away like smoke.

"Wow. Nice teamwork."

Revali and Lyn look up and see Urbosa approaching on her horse, with Zelda behind her. The Princess looks awestruck while Urbosa scans the spoils appreciatively. Lyn studies her claymore before tossing it and letting it shatter, favoring the spear the Lynel had used. Revali watches her collect the spoils for a long moment, wondering why his heart is pounding.

Lyn shoots him a curious look before her sights catch on something beyond their group, but before she can hustle away, Revali catches her by the shoulders.

"That is NOT how you fight a Lynel!" he hears himself shouting.

There's an intense something in Lyn's gaze, and it takes her a moment to focus on Revali again. He shakes her rather roughly, but it's Urbosa and Zelda who voice their objections.

"When you fight a Lynel, you need to do it at _long range_. What in the Goddess' name were you thinking, sprinting right up to it? You could have been torn to shreds," he rants, barely aware of the rapid clicking his beak is making. "You got burned as it is. You can't just charge in recklessly when you're fighting those things!"

Revali isn't sure what he was expecting, but Lyn _scowling_ and throwing off his wings certainly didn't factor into his equation. She hurries past him without a second glance, leaving him with ruffled feathers and a high temper. Zelda watches the Champions with a nervous light in her eyes and looks back, hustling after her friend.

Urbosa slowly steps forward with a concerned frown. "You know, she's probably fought a lot of those on her own, and she's still standing. She has her methods, and you ha-"

"It's not the same," he snaps. "I..."

He... what?

He doesn't know. Which, he dazedly realizes, is half the problem.

"I'm going to scout up ahead. For any _more_ of those," he mutters. He recalls that they are near the Taobab Grasslands, and Lynels do seem to prefer it there... "I'll meet you at the next stable up." And without waiting for a reply, he takes off and relishes the empty sky.

End Chapter 4

* * *

Revali's not doing feelings that well is he. No-siree-bob.

In much the same way as I wonder how a five-shot bow can turn one arrow into five, I also wonder how Rito use bows and arrows while flying. Magic, I suppose.

I was kind of on the fence about the fight in this chapter. Revali is a skilled warrior and while Lyn is the Hero and almost expected to be more skilled, I don't want Revali to be overshadowed by that alone. I imagine he's much better at aerial combat than anyone else.


	5. Ruffled Feathers and Furious Flippers

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

Sunday 2017/05/21: I was away from my computer all day yesterday, but here is chapter five. More serious moods this chapter, but the overall story will have an upbeat ending, promise!

* * *

Chapter 5: Ruffled Feathers and Furious Flippers

He takes care of the blue Hinox in the middle of the Digdogg islands and perhaps slightly overdoes it in the process - the poor monster barely managed to crack his eye open before Revali had him spit-roasting. No more Lynels seem to be sneaking up from the Taobab Grasslands, so he flies ahead to the Aquame Coliseum and deals with the monsters there. It's an absolute bloodbath, and Bokoblins will whisper of a terror from the skies that felled their fiercest warriors for generations, if not eternity.

Revali realizes he's forgotten to give Lyn her arrows back, so he treats the Lynel stalking the Coliseum to a baker's dozen to the face and a whole lot more of his ire. The carnage convinces him of his skill in battle again, and as he waits for his traveling companions to reach the outskirts stable, he finds himself a perch above the now-bloodsoaked coliseum to brood.

He shouldn't have said those things. Or yelled, or any of it.

He _knows_ Lyn can handle herself. Not so long ago she was the one assisting him against the Windblight Ganon. She had to fight her way across Hyrule to aid her fellow Champions. Of _course_ she's fought Lynels before. Obviously. He knows that like any child knows the sky is blue and he doesn't like the fact that watching her rush one, and almost get torn to shreds, made him worry that much.

(Of course, it's also perfectly understandable that watching a close companion of yours almost get torn to shreds would raise alarm, but the abstract becoming concrete apparently hits harder than Daruk's Boulder Breaker.)

Perhaps he just never thought to take a moment and work out how his fellow Champion had to fight. Revali specializes in long-range, aerial combat. In the skies, he's an absolute terror and can rain death on unsuspecting enemies before they know he's there. When it comes to Daruk, weapons are basically a redundancy - his fists on their own are probably as strong as his Boulder Breaker. And the Goron Champion is the one who created and perfected the art of using his entire body as a cannon-propelled projectile, thanks to his shielding power. Urbosa fights with a sword and shield, but she also happens to be _Urbosa_ , the Gerudo Champion who takes no shit from anybody and who can summon lightning storms with a flick of her fingers. And it's true, Mipha also favors close-range combat with her Lightscale Trident, but Seggin's training ensured she is peerless in her mastery. Besides, Mipha has the ability to heal herself if critically injured.

A realization hits Revali like Urbosa's lightning. He's bothered because Lyn... isn't _Link_.

It's easy to think of _Link_ as a rival. Link is the Hylian Champion, the Hero, the wielder of the sword that seals the darkness, and a capable warrior who does not need Revali's assistance. But Lyn is the exact same person. The thought engulfs Revali with shame. He has already begun thinking differently of his fellow Champion because of his Molduga-reeking blundering and her hydromelons. He knows he shouldn't - to do so is to entertain thoughts more shallow than a desert lake. It _shouldn't_ matter that Lyn is Lyn, because Lyn is also the Hylian Champion, the Hero, the wielder of the sword that seals the darkness and a powerful warrior, just like him. But apparently, the difference matters to Revali. And he doesn't understand why.

Revali doesn't like having to admit that he's an idiot three times in as many days.

He broods, and it's not until the sky starts burning orange that he begins to worry again. The Lynel had attacked them quite close to the Digdogg islands, and the outskirt stable and the coliseum are practically right beyond there. They should have arrived hours ago. He forces himself to think for a moment. Perhaps they have arrived at the stable already and he has simply been too engrossed in his ruminations to see them pass by. He takes off and heads for the stable to see if this suspicion bears fruit.

As he clears the top of the hill, he sees Urbosa on her horse, galloping along the wrong path. She's headed east as opposed to north.

"Hoy!" He yells, swooping in over her head. Urbosa glances up when his shadow passes over her head, but she doesn't slow her horse down to less than a trot. The speed, too fast for walking but too slow for flying, forces Revali to land and hustle to keep up with her. "Where are you going?"

Urbosa's face is unusually grim. "Go to the stable and make sure they make it there safely," she orders. "Lyn's horse was hurt worse than we thought. I'm going ahead to summon Mipha to the castle, to see if there's anything we can do."

Revali feels a wave of guilt coming, but he simply adopts the same serious demeanor as Urbosa and nods. "Right," he replies, and abruptly heads for the bridges.

* * *

Zelda and her stallion are just climbing the last bridge extension when he flies overhead. The princess glances around with worry, probably anticipating more enemies. Revali sees her companion quite a ways behind her, walking extremely slowly beside her own chestnut mount. Zelda spots him overhead and waves as Revali circles his way down. "Urbosa filled me in," he says before Zelda can open her mouth. "I already cleared out the enemies in this area. It should be safe for you. I can find a vantage point to watch both of you, but you should probably get to the stable and give them some forewarning that they'll be boarding and caring for an injured horse." He checks on Lyn again as she draws closer. "That looks serious, and they'll appreciate a heads-up."

The princess weighs his suggestion over before assenting, and flicks the reins to spur her stallion on to the stable. Revali flies just high enough to see her safely received, and although daylight is fast fading, he notices a minor flurry of activity shortly after Zelda dismounts - the clearing of stable space, procurement of extra bedding, and even some guarded scavenging for what Revali hopes are healing herbs. Then he heads down to make sure Lyn gets her horse to the stable safely.

Which is different from making sure Lyn gets there safely. _She can take care of herself_ , Revali reminds himself as he lands, _she doesn't need protection_.

Lyn glances up at his arrival, but even by blank-slate standards her expression is subdued and borderline grim. They offer each other only the most cursory of nods before Revali busies himself with his bow and his job escorting the limping horse over the bridges. Lyn isn't inclined to talk in the first place, and Revali doesn't think this is an appropriate time to start apologizing or trying to untangle the unholy knot that is his confused feelings to his confused reactions over his confused feelings.

Once they're in sight of the stable, Revali breaks the silence to inform her about the preparations Zelda's seen to. He doesn't expect a response, so he stays resolutely focused to keep his mind off how guilty he feels for snapping and then ditching them for half a day. He could have shut his big stupid beak, and flown ahead to get assistance instead of having a snit and letting his hot head get the better of him.

The darkness of night has settled in by the time they reach the stable, but the staff are all ready to help. They lead Lyn's chestnut horse into a spacious pen and examine her from head to hoof, doing what they can with herbs, salves, and cool water from the river. Lyn watches the whole time with a haunted protective visage, and Revali joins Zelda by the cooking pot to wait in silence. One of the other stable staff comes over and mutters something about not usually cooking for guests (or doing any work at all, for that matter), but he'll make an exception this time because that guy's brought him gourmet meat every time he's come through.

The night drags on, and eventually Zelda coaxes their reluctant friend to come and eat some food, but dinner is by no means chatty. It's even harder to get Lyn to go to sleep. It takes the combined reassurances of Zelda, Revali, and the entire stable staff that they will watch over her horse all night long and wake her the second they think they need to before they can get the Hylian Champion to crawl into a bed. The chill of the night sets in around the fire, but after steady breathing signals that their companion is sleeping, conversations start bubbling up. Revali and Zelda merely listen at first. Even when fighting to save the world, it seems that Lyn spared a moment for everyone.

One woman remarks that although Link is "not her type", he is quite handsome and it's a shame his horse is so injured - she doesn't like seeing "her hero" so depressed. The slacker who cooked for them recounts a number of times the Champion brought him some gourmet meat, without expecting anything in return. A strange traveling merchant, who introduces himself as Beedle, gushes over the times the wandering hero gave him rare bugs for his collection, and volunteers some of his own curative insects for free. Zelda sports a small, sad smile at all these stories - it's a testament to how kind Lyn can be. Revali just feels the knife of guilt twisting deeper.

"I didn't see that he- his horse had gotten slashed so hard by the Lynel's claws," Revali admits, much to his chagrin. "It seemed like the horse got spooked, more than anything. I wouldn't have gone ahead if I had known. Or I might have, but to get help, not scout for more monsters."

Zelda stares into the flames for a long moment and neither acquits nor condemns her Champion of Wind. "...Link had some fairy tonic on hand, so we could stop Epona from bleeding, at least. Hopefully Mipha will be able to sort out any internal injuries. But we need to get to Hyrule Castle as quickly as possible, and even though we've reached the central plains, it will still push our limits to get to the castle tomorrow..." The princess is clever, but even this logistics puzzle sets her face into a worried frown.

"Oh!" Beedle exclaims, and the noise is so unexpected that Zelda jumps and Revali reflexively reaches for his bow before he realizes that the strange merchant isn't a threat. "Maybe we could help get his horse to the castle! There are carts around the stable, and we could pay some traveling merchants who use mules to pull the cart!" Beedle's enthusiasm infects the other workers at the stable, who immediately start bustling around as quietly as possible to see if the plan can work, leaving Zelda and Revali to watch the proceedings with a fair bit of surprise at the courage and selflessness of people who were subjugated by the Calamity. Despite Zelda's and Revail's protests, the rest of the staff encourages the two Champions to sleep as well, and leave the rest to them. They are just crawling into beds of their own as the faintest light of dawn begins to break, but Zelda reasons that even a little sleep is better than none at all. Revali drifts off to the faint bustle of busy people, and hopes that today will be better than yesterday.

* * *

When they wake up, the staff has breakfast ready to go, a cart set up with Epona ready to ride, and two volunteers to do the carting. If Lyn weren't already speechless by default, the charity would have silenced her. As it stands, she pauses and smiles weakly, which is a huge expression of gratitude coming from her.

As they make their way across the central plains, Lyn stays close to the cart, a wordless encouragement for Epona. Zelda takes a position near the lead of their procession while Revali circles overhead to warn them of any monsters that might jump out at them. However, the main plains have been so devastated by their final battle against the Dark Beast Ganon that there simply aren't any obstacles to hide behind save the rolling hills. And despite being creatures of darkness, the blins are nothing more than insects before the incarnation of darkness itself, and apparently all the camps along the central plains have either been razed as collateral, or abandoned in great haste.

They pass some ruined Guardian remains on the way there, which makes everyone slightly uncomfortable for many different reasons. But soon enough, the mammoth shape of the castle looms before them close enough that they can see the individual extensions and towers, many of which are being repaired by travelers and Sheikah clansmen as they approach.

Before the inhabitants of the hopeful-new Castle Town see them, Zelda waves Revali down. "Can you go ahead and announce us? The fanfare will be unbearable either way, but I'd rather have some semblance of order as opposed to a swarm. If any of the Sheikah elders are there, let them know we need medical treatment immediately."

Revali bows his head and takes off, hastening his flight with his gales.

It only occurs to him as he himself is landing and getting fawned over by grateful travelers (and who can blame them? He is pretty great), that Zelda sent him ahead as a sacrificial bird. He absolutely does not lose his cool with all the attention being heaped on him, and while he would appreciate it at almost any other time, he has some Sheikah to find and the people clustering around him asking about Vah Medoh and the Rito Village and the fight against the Calamity are making that job much harder than it needs to be. Finally, he clicks his beak with impatience and flaps his wings once or twice to win him some space and a moment of undivided attention. "The Princess is returning to the castle, and I need to speak to whomever is currently leading the Sheikah immediately," he says rather imperiously. It's for a good cause.

Thankfully, some of the more sensible citizens stop pestering him with questions and spread the news that the Princess is on her way back! and we need to greet her! oh and someone find the Sheikah leader, that too!

The crowds thin out in anticipation of Zelda's arrival and Revali hustles to find his mysterious Sheikah contact when he hears a delicate voice off to his right. "Hello, Revali."

He spins around. "Mipha! It's so good to see you again. How did you arrive so quickly?" Revali struts over to Mipha and positions himself next to her, at the fringe of the activity so that they can watch the crowds while spying for any danger.

"The waterways leading from Lanayru to the Castle flow generously," Mipha replies, the picture of elegance. "When Urbosa told me what had happened, she insisted I swim along ahead. When I was leaving, she was preparing to summon Daruk from Goron City."

Revali gives a minor scoff. "I certainly don't envy her that task," he quips. "Us Rito don't do well in such hot environments. I'm surprised those ridiculously-shaped birds living in the crater don't burst into flames on the spot. Still, it will be nice when they arrive. This will be the first time in a while that the six of us have managed to get together, won't it?"

Mipha nods, fins waving gently as she observes her surroundings. "Once we had the remnants of the town stabilized in the aftermath of the Calamity, all of us were consumed by helping our people rebuild. Hopefully we can use this opportunity to grow stronger together, and work for a united future." She turns slightly to observe Revali, and the Rito champion glances down at her with a quirked brow. "We have much to catch up on, don't you agree?"

"I'll say,-" Revali starts, and then the full weight of Mipha's nonchalant words and innocent stare seem to hit him all at once and he quiets, studying her carefully.

There's a very pregnant pause in the conversation, and Revali thinks he might be sweating less if he were at Death Mountain's caldera.

"I did warn you, Revali, that it would be better to let the others have their trip to themselves," Mipha says, voice still nothing but gentle cadence.

And that sets off all sorts of alarms in Revali's head, and he treads very carefully. "Yes. You did."

"But you ignored my warning."

"Yes. I did."

"Revali." Mipha turns to face him fully, still nothing but regal poise, composed features, and soft-spoken politeness. "You are an absolutely giant, unabashed, color-clashing peacock."

And then she lunges.

End Chapter 5

* * *

One time when I was attacking the Ploymus Mountain Lynel, I activated bullet time and switched to a five-shot burst arrow and bomb arrows. My game froze.

Mipha is the scariest Champion when angry. Place your bets on the probability of Revali's survival here.


	6. Furious Flippers and Confused Feelings

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

2017/05/27 Sat.: I hope everyone in the U.S. is enjoying their Memorial Day Weekend. We're almost caught up to AO3 in terms of chapters. Feelings alert for this chapter and the next, at least.

* * *

Chapter 6: Furious Flippers and Confused Feelings

Mipha's Revenge is terrible precisely because it doesn't kill Revali. It doesn't even involve her Lightscale Trident or any of the awful uses she could put it to. No, Mipha's Revenge is probably one of the worst things to ever happen to Revali because the physical assault (smacking him silly with her fins) is just the insult to the actual injury, which comes in the form of an indiscreet scolding that causes several of the townspeople to turn their heads and observe. Revali's pride will probably never recover completely.

And that's how the royal traveling party arrives at the gates; with the crowd's attention divided as they watch the graceful Zora princess berate the greatest warrior of the Rito for being an "unbelievably airheaded dodo bird". He swears he saw the flash of Zelda's Sheikah Slate as she climbed down from her stallion.

Revali's pride will _definitely_ never recover completely.

Fortunately, however, their arrival forces Mipha to pause, but she levels him a serious look that promises more of the same to come. The Zora Princess is once again the picture of unflappable grace and poise by the time Zelda and Lyn walk over. "It is good to see you again, Zelda," Mipha says with a warm smile, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgment.

"You as well, Mipha, though I do wish we hadn't needed to call you here due to such urgent circumstances."

"You needn't worry about that. I will do whatever I can for Epona. May I see her now?"

Lyn looks over her shoulder, and Revali sees that the two merchants are leading the cart with Epona over to them, using Zelda as a hint to their final destination. The merchants and a few resting Sheikah help Epona down into a makeshift stable and Mipha immediately crouches over the horse to do whatever she can. Zelda thanks the merchants and offers them a gratuity, and after they head back into the small crowd to sell their wares, the princess returns to their little gathering. "We managed to get Epona to drink a fairy tonic. Although they were made for people, it seemed to work. The wound closed and stopped bleeding, but we weren't sure about internal injuries."

It takes a few minutes of concentration and ends with Mipha frowning. "There was some damage to the muscles around her heart, which explains the limping Urbosa described. It was enough to weaken her. I'm working on it now." After a few more minutes of silence, the glow from Mipha's hands fades and she takes a deep breath to steady herself. "There. I'll see if there's any more I can do tomorrow, but I've repaired the internal injuries. She will probably still be weak for some time, but with enough bed rest she should recover- oh!"

Mipha finds herself wrapped in a crushing embrace from Lyn, who's sporting slightly glistening eyes and the most blinding smile Revali has ever seen.

(He is not jealous of Mipha in any way.)

(Zelda takes one look at his face and totally believes him.)

Zelda laughs a little at the outward display of emotion from her stoic bodyguard, and even Mipha manages to giggle slightly once she has the breathing room to do so. "We can wait here for a few days," Zelda says. "I'm not sure when Daruk and Urbosa will get here, but we definitely deserve some time to rest after everything that's been happening recently. Although there is still much that requires my attention."

"Well, we're all here," Revali interjects. "We'll make ourselves useful however we can."

Mipha and Lyn nod in support.

Zelda smiles, reassured, but it's slowly turning into something slightly more pained. "Well, that's good because... well... Impa sent word that she, Purah, and Robbie are all joining us as well."

Revali blinks, Mipha looks confused, and Lyn sort of freezes. "Is... something the matter?" the Rito Champion asks, glancing between everyone. He's not sure why mention of the Sheikah Chief illicits such a questionable reaction.

"Robbie and Purah are the ones researching the ancient Sheikah technology from their bases in Akkala and Hateno and are both quite... exuberant," Zelda explains diplomatically. "And they're here to begin work restoring the Royal Ancient Tech Lab."

Revali understands. "So you want to make sure they don't accidentally undo all of the work everyone else has accomplished in rebuilding."

He gets a grateful look. "Precisely."

* * *

The three elder Sheikah arrive the following morning in just about the most conspicuous manner possible. Robbie had apparently modified a benign Guardian Stalker so that he, Purah, and Impa could all sit on it and ride into town, apparently never once considering that travelers who had been victimized by said machines for several years on end might not take too kindly to one clomping into the middle of their rebuilding efforts. The three present Champions almost annihilate the stalker before they see the three elders on it, and the rest of the morning is spent hiding from Zelda and the Castle Town Sheikah as the four of them engage in a heated debate over whether or not such an entrance was really necessary.

(Impa, surprisingly, was not as put out by her older sister's shenanigans as she might have been had her knees not been in such an abysmal state.)

The three Champions escape from that particular quagmire of fun in order to roam around the castle, and make themselves useful by inspecting and noting any damage from the vantage points of land, sea, and sky. Once they deem their task complete, Revali challenges Mipha to a fishing contest, because even though she is the naturally aquatic member of the trio, the Rito live above a lake of their own and often host competitive dive-fishing sports. The two of them go at it for a good hour catching way more fish than necessary and engaging in some good-natured banter while Lyn keeps tally of their catches and gets to work cooking and roasting them with a passion.

It's quite late in the afternoon when the three of them finally call it quits and decide to share their bounty with the rest of the townsfolk, and as they head back into the center of activity, they hear (and feel) Daruk approach. When he finally lumbers into view, with Urbosa following a leisurely pace, a wide grin breaks out on his face. "There you guys are! Heard you had some excitement earlier." He and Urbosa stride over and greet the rest of their Champion fellows, and Urbosa smirks. "You're going to have to be a little bit more specific, Daruk. We've had nothing but excitement for the better part of a week. Thank Revali here," she says, and Revali remembers that Urbosa is evil. (How did he even forget?)

The Goron Champion chuckles. "You told me as much, but you said the stories would have to wait until we're all here. And Zelda is having quite a time of things, so we'll probably have to wait until tonight to catch up."

"Is the rebuilt section of town still standing?" Revali asks, honestly wanting to know.

"Yes, but Zelda told us about this morning's surprise Guardian. Which has been confiscated, by the way," Urbosa replies with a roll of her eyes. "So what have you three been up to lately?"

"Doing some inspection work for the carpenters and then an extreme fishing competition," Revali shrugs, indicating their massive catch. No big deal for someone as skilled as him. (Disregard Mipha's portion of the catch (which is absolutely not greater than half by any stretch).)

Mipha chimes in. "We were going to bring these back to the townsfolk to share our catch. It's about dinnertime, anyway. We should rescue Zelda from the splitting headache she's no doubt acquired, wouldn't you say?"

Daruk chuckles. "Here we go to rescue the princess again," he jokes, and he takes most of the fish into his arms and starts lumbering towards town, heedless of the several that fall from his grasp.

The inhabitants hoping to rebuild Castle Town decide to enjoy all of the fresh fish together, and while they pull together what amounts to a party, Urbosa slyly fixes Zelda something akin to a Noble Pursuit - just not as strong. Between that and chillfin, she recovers in short order from the splitting headache she definitely acquired early in the day.

Night encroaches, and the rebuilders head for their beds, and Zelda orders Robbie and Purah to _not do anything_ , much to Purah's disappointment, and once the night is relatively calm, the six saviors of Hyrule find themselves gathered around a cozy campfire with some small snacks and probably more of Urbosa's quick brew than would be considered prudent, given current company.

"Haven't had down time like this since we were traveling to Mount Lanayru," Daruk sighs, using his sturdy back as its own recliner. "A lot's changed since then... and now we're all here again. Gotta admit, I was kind of surprised when Urbosa shows up out of nowhere and tells me to come to the Castle." His expression shifts to one of concern. "Is something going on? Yiga, Ganon?"

Zelda shakes her head. "Thankfully nothing like that. For once we're gathering without something so ominous imminent. Even if we have lost much..."

"None of that," Urbosa says firmly. "We fought well, and just look at how much we've managed to recover in such a short time. Hyrule is resilient. Evil might fester, for a time, but never conquer."

"Yes. We're here to celebrate our victories, and enjoy our company without worrying about anything now," Mipha adds.

Daruk slaps his chest in agreement. "Yeah! And we're starting that right now! Urbosa's been dropping me all these hints about you guys getting up to all this mischief, and you didn't even invite me? I want to hear what's been going on." His grin is a mild wide as he looks between them all expectantly.

Urbosa smirks, Lyn shifts slightly, Zelda and Mipha turn to look at Revali, and Revali tries to pretend that he doesn't exist. It doesn't work. Daruk blinks and looks between the five of them. "Seems like a pretty juicy story if that grin on your face is anything to go by, Urbosa."

"Oh it is," she practically drawls. "And we can preface it with a juicy picture if our resident bard doesn't want to begin."

Revali puffs up in irritation. "SorememberwhenIinvitedyoutoGerudoCitywellIwentonmyownokay."

Despite his efforts to remain unintelligible, Daruk catches every word and rolls over, cackling. "Of course you did! Oh, I can't wait to hear how this ends! How much lightning did Urbosa hit you with?"

Revali pauses. He wasn't actually sure how to proceed from here. He catches Lyn's eye and cocks his head, conveying a wordless question. She bites her lip and thinks about it for a moment, but finally nods, more resigned than anything.

"Well," Revali begins with a groan, "It went about as well as you'd expect, basically from the moment I got there..."

* * *

No one can say Daruk does not make for a superb member of the audience. The look on his face when Revali explains the whole spa debacle will live on for eternity, as Zelda thought to catch his floored expression with her Slate. Lyn seems sheepish but not skittish when he peppers her with a few questions, but thankfully he relents in order for Revali to continue the story. He still looks slightly stunned throughout the telling, even as he roars with laughter at the pictures of Revali's makeover, his argument with the jeweler shopkeepers, and his attempts at sand seal surfing.

Of course, then Revali has to continue, and after recounting the strange old rushroom addict at the desolate stable, he has to talk about their encounter with the Lynel, bringing them back full circle to why Urbosa summoned both him and Mipha out here.

Daruk looks concerned as he pats Lyn on the back. "Don't worry about it, little gu- uh... Lyn! Mipha's healing works wonders, you know that. I'm sure your horse is going to be up and galloping across the fields in no time!"

Lyn offers a weak smile in response.

"It's been a long day for everyone," Mipha says, slowly rising to her feet. "We should get some rest. No doubt we'll be quite busy with all the work to be done." When no one disagrees, they all bid each other goodnight and make themselves comfortable wherever there is room. Revali notes that Lyn makes her way to the stable where Epona is staying, but doesn't follow or raise questions. He might ask Zelda about it later.

But as it happens, he doesn't get the chance, because true to Mipha's word they are all very busy for what stretches into the next couple of weeks. Zelda has to lead construction efforts, organize the people flocking to the hopeful new city, and communicate between the other leaders through their Champions. Daruk enlists some visiting Goron merchants to start making the old quarry operational, Urbosa makes sure that the Sheikah repairing the old Royal Tech Lab don't blow anything up, and Mipha treats Epona daily, but an infection from the wound meant that eventually her ability to heal met diminishing returns against the horse's fever. Lyn splits her time between guarding Zelda, but when the princess sees how surrounded by competent Sheikah they are, and how worried Lyn is, she turns the Hero loose to watch over Epona. Revali, for his part, is left doing odd jobs and flying just high enough to see her scouring the nearby fields for possible herbs.

Revali tries to acclimate to the new balance of things by keeping as busy as possible. The fact that he's still so bothered in general is only exacerbated by how un-bothered everyone else is. The elder Sheikah seem to know about hydromelons, and in hindsight it is obvious to Revali that Mipha knew as well (but she refuses to answer any questions about it, leaving Revali to wonder about her feelings for Lyn - oh Goddess, and Sidon's, he hadn't even thought about that, and why is he thinking it matters? Great gales, he's a hot feathered mess), and although Revali studies Daruk, the Goron seems to accept the new information with relative ease. He still refers to Lyn as "little guy", but has now also started referring to Revali that way as well, chuckling that he is now the _real_ little guy.

And just when Revali was thinking maybe he should pick Daruk's brain for some perspective... ugh. Freaking rock people...

He's almost grateful for the diversion in the form of a traveler from Hebra asking for help with a winged beast bothering the people trying to resettle Tabantha Village. Lyn almost volunteers to go help, but Revali stops her before she can. He has no doubts she'd make quick work of any beast that made the mistake of crossing her path, but the Rito and the Kargaroks have nursed a rivalry for as long as the Zora and the Lizalfos have (probably more, Revali would argue, because the Rito are a proud race with a long and storied history of soaring epics that would make people weep with wonder), and Revali has a bone to pick with any of those feathered fuckers that cross his path, or his mind. He also appreciates the time to go and think.

The trip out there, the actual battle with the small flock of Kargaroks, and the return to Castle Town take only a few days, and Revali appreciates the thinking space it gives him immensely. Not that he manages to glean much useful from ruminating constantly, but he thinks that maybe, once he gets back, he can have a nice long talk with Lyn about how sorry he is for how he treated her during their fight against the Calamity and how she isn't so bad and how Revali might even enjoy spending time with her... you know, sometimes. He even returns with a peace offering that he definitely should not have told the Elder Kaneli about when he stopped to check on Rito Village (loudly squawking "It's not what you think, old man!" was probably not the most elegant response to the elder's equally-undignified hoots of laughter).

When he returns, though, he's greeted by their entire group save Lyn, and all of them look grim. Revali feels a stone drop in his gut despite all of his training. "What? What's happened?" he asks, perhaps more aggressively than he meant.

Mipha in particular looks upset. "I... couldn't help, in the end," she whispers.

Revali doesn't understand. "What..."

Urbosa rests her hand on Mipha's shoulder as the Zora princess studies the dirt. "We couldn't save Epona."

Despite not having connection to Lyn's beloved horse himself, the Rito champion stiffens and feels a chill of dread go down his spine. "Oh," he breathes.

He hears a sniffle from Mipha, and Urbosa leads her off before she can let all the waterworks loose. Zelda takes a breath before elaborating. "The fever only got worse. She refused food and drink. We tried medicine and more tonic. It wasn't enough."

"And... Lyn?"

"We gave her some space, but... she's not in Castle Town anymore," Daruk mutters gruffly, dark eyes full of concern. "I'm sure she's safe, but I wish she would let us support her. I can't imagine what it's like to lose someone that close to you. Hell, Epona rode against the _Beast_."

"Do you have any idea where she went?" Revali asks, praying his tone is all concern and not the urgency he suddenly starts to feel. The fact that the urge makes no sense is duly noted and disregarded. He's an idiot and he has idiot feelings, but right now he feels like a failure for being away. Stupid, Goddess-damned Kargaroks.

"I suspect Faron, probably near Lake Hylia, since that's where she grew up... but beyond that..." Zelda trails off, shaking her head.

That's news to him. And it just serves to remind Revali that his overall impression of Lyn, allied warrior with whom he fought alongside at the battle to save the world, is mostly assumptions and not knowledge, and he somehow feels even worse than before. But... something is nagging at the back of his mind. "Do you mind if I check your map?" he asks, holding his wing out for the Slate.

Zelda hands it to him, and she and Daruk regard him curiously as he fiddles with the controls and studies the two southern regions in great detail. He knows that there were several horse icons dotting the map in the south, and since the Slate had been in Lyn's possession for a few years, they were quite possibly her meticulous notes, which- _there_.

"Revali? Do you... think you know where she went?"

He hands the Slate back to Zelda abruptly. "I have a good idea," he replies simply. "I'll go see if she's there, at least make sure she's all right. I'll be back in a few days," he says, and takes to the air before they can question him further, before he can question himself. He needs words, and explanations, and apologies, and things that are out of his comprehension, much less reach. He needs the barest idea of what he thinks he's doing.

After all, Highland Stable is only half a day's flight away.

End Chapter 6

* * *

Things get better I promise.

Lots of elbow nudging and winking in this chapter, eh?

The way I wrote the end of the chapter was making me cringe, but I kept coming up against a wall every time I set down to write it. I might go and tidy it up to my liking later, but I wanted to put something out for the weekend. I'll add Chapter 7 either Sunday or Monday.


	7. Confused Feelings and Strange Journeys

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

Mon 2017/05/29: Happy Memorial Day to those observing.

With this, we are officially caught up with AO3. Other than us hitting Maximum Feels, there's just a couple of notes for this chapter:

1: Regions of Hyrule. I checked the online Interactive Map, and the regions demarcated by the Sheikah Towers do not always exactly correspond to more vague interpretations of "regions" - this seems to be the case in Hyrule's south more than the north. In the north, the regions of Hebra, Tabantha, and Akkala, for example, pretty much follow the lines of the areas revealed by the Sheikah Towers. However in the south, we have the region of Necluda spanning the Dueling Peaks and Hateno Tower regions, we have several prominent Lanayru landmarks closer to Hateno Tower than to Lanayru Tower, and we have a place called the Faron Grasslands in the area revealed by the Lake Tower. To say nothing of the Wasteland Tower revealing Gerudo Desert, and Gerudo Tower NOT revealing Gerudo Desert...sigh.  
Long story short, I interpret the "region" of Faron more liberally than just the land revealed by Faron Tower, to include both Lake Hylia and the Faron jungles at minimum.

2: Malanya. I left gender ambiguous because of conflicting evidence regarding pronouns. The two prominent Zelda wikis are in disagreement, and other websites I consulted are split almost exactly 50-50. FWIW, I think Malanya is male because BotW specifically refers to Goddess Hylia (and Nayru), and makes a deliberate choice to refer to Malanya as the horse god (Malanya's English quote itself reads "I am the god who watches over the horses of this world"), but I can see where the continuation of the Great Fairy aesthetics and themes would suggest that Malanya is female. If anyone can find Japanese footage (or Nintendo's canon proclamation), Malanya's choice of pronouns would probably offer a better idea. But for the story, I structured sentences in certain ways so that Malanya's gender is open to your interpretation.

* * *

Chapter 7: Confused Feelings and Strange Journeys

Revali flies rather more quickly than he ordinarily would, in order to make it to the Highland Stable by nightfall. His wings will probably be very sore and very tired by the end of the journey, but that's what stamella shrooms are for. He can't even fully decipher his sense of urgency. There is no danger here, and no threat to the Hylian Champion's well-being either. If Lyn isn't at the spring, then the search simply begins again.

Maybe it's because what this strange deity is peddling gives him pause.

Resurrection - a thorny subject, to say the least.

The ancient Sheikah had crafted a Shrine of Resurrection, and it had seen its use - but it had brought Lyn back from the _brink_ of death, not back from beyond the mortal coil, and the Shrine was much quicker in its effects and took a less severe toll on her than it otherwise would have. That's... not exactly resurrection. It avoids the question.

Revali remembers being very young when his family and some close friends ventured to the edge of Tabantha Frontier and saw his father off at the end of the Tanagar Canyon. The Rito wanted to fly beyond Hyrule's borders to see what the wider world had to offer the kingdom. He remembers watching his father grow smaller and smaller, his heart soaring alongside his father as the proud Rito took off and braved both the tall cliffs and the oppressive winds, until finally the last of his wingtips disappeared beyond the western horizon. Many thought he would return within a few months. But those months passed, and then years, and then Revali realized one day that he was an adult and that his father was never coming back and that his mother was a shell of the vibrant soul she had once been.

To this day he has no answers. No one knows if his father is dead, but he might as well be. And if he is... would Revali seek out a figure like this Malanya to undo what all Nayru's laws decreed inevitable? His hurt is an old one that barely aches. Perhaps he is not the best person to say. His fellow Champion, however, has just felt the pain of the loss of a much stronger bond, and if Revali were to lose... any one of his fellow Champions, or Elder Kaneli, he might desire this monumental thing.

It doesn't feel right, but it is no stretch of the imagination to conjure a situation where it could. Perhaps he is rushing to meet up with Lyn before she meets with this Horse God. That could be it. It's territory he's not sure should be explored.

But then it comes unbidden, why he feels so strongly about this. It's the Lynel again. Or rather, what he had been ruminating over right before the Lynel. She'd been fighting, and fighting, and fighting. When stacking his accomplishments against Lyn's, Revali comes up short. But it is not about settling a score. For once, he wants to be dependable. He wants to earn the feeling of being a Champion again, by living up to the title when it matters most. Courage is not the absence of fear, or of loneliness, or of the need to lean on a shoulder for support. He doesn't want his friend to bear this burden by herself, not after all the ones she shouldered solo before. He doesn't want her to have to be alone yet again. Regardless of what sort of pact this Malanya can offer.

The Highland stable comes into sight before him, and he pushes himself even faster, eyes scanning the surroundings as he does. He sees a few wild horses roaming around the shallow lake and fields near the stable, and he sees some travelers (and... was that that Beedle guy? Revali was sure he had seen him in Castle Town before leaving. That is- no, not the time to wonder about it) approaching and setting off from the stable. He strongly suspects that this means he might already be "too late", but instead of pressing on over the ridge, he lands at the stable to cook some of his stamella shrooms and ask the stable staff about the passersby.

When they confirm his suspicions, he contains a grimace, thanks them quickly, and eats the cooked mushrooms while they're still scalding. It hurts like hell, but he feels energy and relief spreading to his tired wing muscles and takes off the second he's finished.

The path to the horse god is narrow and long and imposing, and it emphasizes how alone Revali feels and how desperate Lyn must be to come here.

And then - he sees her up ahead. Revali pushes himself that extra little bit, and he doesn't broadcast his presence or try to hide. By the time he lands, Lyn has climbed up the little steps to the strange flowery fountain, with thick purple fog curling around her boots as she crouches down and proffers what looks like an endura carrot. Revali jogs up, and Lyn swivels around, causing him to come up short. Her expression is just so _dead_ \- it doesn't look as if she broke down, but kept a stone face in order to get here, to blunt the pain. The barest twitch of a frown, probably wondering what Revali is doing here, crosses her face, but before Revali can even begin to think of something to say, two disembodied hands emerge from the fountain and hoist up the rest of the so-called Horse God's body.

And dear _Goddess_ , Revali takes a step back and it takes all his wits not to squawk in surprise. The Rito warrior tries to come up with a suitable word for just how otherwordly and exotic Malanya looks, but all he can come up with is decidedly _funky_. He wonders if Malanya's aesthetics inspired the stables scattered across Hyrule, or vice versa, and then he realizes that while the eyes of the horse mask are an uncanny pitch darkness, the ears glow bright with an intelligent gaze.

"When your dear Epona came to me, I knew you would not be long in seeking me out, child..."

Lyn focuses all her attention on the spirit, and Revali takes several steps back. It's as much to provide whatever minimal privacy he can as it is to put some distance between himself and the incredibly odd ( _funky_ ) deity.

"Alas... there is nothing even I, Malanya, can do for her."

Lyn seems to stiffen and sag all in one motion. The floating mask comes closer to speak to Lyn at eye level, while one of the hands reaches down in a gesture of comfort and support. Revali watches with something like dread, because he knows that if this Malanya either can't, or won't, reunite Lyn and Epona, then Lyn is going to be devastated.

"I made a pact with you that if Epona should pass away from a tragic and fateful accident in the heat of combat, that I would revive her. But she did not fall in battle, child. Had she died from her wounds, I could have intervened on her behalf, to prolong her time in this world. But it was not her injuries that killed her, but rather the fever. I am sorry, my child. I know that the two of you grew up together. I have watched over her since her birth, and over you since you managed to tame her at the tender age of seven."

Revali's really regretting his decision to follow at this point. He knows what heartbreak feels like, when someone you've loved and depended on is never coming home...

"Do not despair, my child. Epona lived a long and vibrant life, and in the afterlife she is at peace. She tells me that you should not mourn her loss, and that she was honored to fight alongside you." The horse god pauses, and then pats Lyn almost uncertainly. "I am sorry to fail you in this matter. But if you should ever need me, I will always be here." Then Malanya rises up and quietly sinks back into the pool and the fog, to give the forlorn Hero her space.

Revali tries to remember how to breathe, and then he slowly, uncertainly approaches. He gauges the situation careful as he walks up to Lyn, who's resolutely staring at the ground. She only marginally tilts her head up when Revali comes up next to her, but the shimmer of moisture in her eyes is already apparent. He feels terrible for her - that this happened, that he's even here, that he would feel bad even if he wasn't, and that he has no way of helping at all. The frustration burns. But he has to do something, because regardless of how he feels his friend is still heartbroken, so he steels himself. "Lyn... I-"

"..Revali..."

Something electric goes through him, because it's the first time he's ever heard the Hero speak, and it's his _name_ , and by the Goddess, her _voice_ , he thinks his heart just broke, and he swallows the sudden painful lump in his own throat and ignores the prickling in his own eyes and shoves aside all the wishes that the situation could be anything else, and opens his wings. An invitation, if it's needed. "I'm here."

And maybe it's because the hurt is so fresh and so unbearable, and maybe because holding everything in for years, as the world collapses around you and there's no one by your side to make things even a little bit better, wears down on even the strongest person's soul, but Lyn falls apart with raw sobs that make Revali's heart burn, and he pulls her in and she grips him fiercely, and they settle to the ground in a desperate tangle of arms. Revali doesn't let go as she cries, and he offers what little wordless support he can as Lyn lets out everything she's been holding in for years and the moon crosses the sky and the world shifts on its axis.

Silences surrounds two souls alone in the world, and they hold on for everything they're worth, hoping that tomorrow will bring something, anything better.

* * *

Both of them wake up in the morning only to find their bodies stiff. Lyn had crouched into an uneasy sleep partially shelled by Revali's wings, and Revali sat upright to keep watch only to end up nodding off towards dawn and coming to with a throbbing soreness in the back of his neck. Waking is slow, and they sit up and stretch in silence, the pace unhurried but humming with an undercurrent of awkwardness.

For a few minutes there's nothing but the sounds of morning as they fidget, and Revali finally speaks. "I'll... let you alone, if you'd like." Given the circumstances, he's found that she's as okay as is possible under the circumstances, and if she needs space to grieve, that's fine with him.

Lyn deliberates, and then shakes her head with half a shrug.

It's almost as awkward to tag along with her, though, but Revali grows a spine and forges ahead. "Very well. Where were you thinking of going?"

Lyn pauses for a moment, and then says, "Hateno, probably."

Revali nods and tries not to think about how strange it is to hear Lyn talking to him. "I'll grab some breakfast if you like." As if responding to his thoughts, she falls silent again and merely nods and lets him to it. He wanders off to gather some fruits and vegetables and a few mushrooms, and when he returns Lyn simply nods in thanks and takes a few things to munch raw while they start their journey in silence.

Lyn walks at a brisk pace and Revali finds that it's hard for him to keep up walking, but he resists saying anything until after Highland Stable, when Lyn turns right at the fork in the road, deeper into the forests and jungles, as opposed to left. "The lake path is longer, but easier. Are you sure?"

A short, choppy response follows after a moment of deliberation. "..Keeps my mind busy.."

Revali supposes that's fair. With any luck, the rough terrain will keep their speed in check, because he doesn't want to start flying around but he also doesn't want to ask to slow down because that would make him not tough, and he is tougher than bird meat. It's already slightly after midday, though, and he has a feeling that Lyn wants to reach the Lakeside Stable by night. Maybe it won't be an equalizer, after all.

Sure enough, Lyn seems perfectly fine navigating through the thick foliage, and it occurs to the Rito warrior only after the third time he ends up tripping and falling into shrubbery that Zelda mentioned Lyn growing up here in the south. He tries to contain his disgruntlement at how uncoordinated he appears when grounded, because his mishaps do seem to offer his traveling companion a twinge of amusement. But Revali also notices how she seems to drink in certain sights, and how familiar they must be, and how melancholy they make her.

The rest of the day passes in silence, and to their credit they reach the Lakeside Stable as the sun is setting. Revali tries valiantly to hide the fact that his feet are sore as anything while they pay for two beds and enjoy a more filling meal by the fire. Eventually, the night grows chilly, and the other stable visitors all drift to bed, leaving the two Champions staring into the flames, consumed by their thoughts.

"I... don't have any more family now."

Revali startles, and looks up to see Lyn studying the fire morosely. "... None?"

Lyn shakes her head. "They..." She shakes her head, but it's not to dismiss the conversation, rather to gather her thoughts. Then she laughs as she gives up. "I've been quiet so long. Forgetting how to talk."

"And.. why _don't_ you talk?" Revali asks. Meanwhile, he wracks his brain to try and think about it more. He hadn't heard Lyn speak before yesterday. But he can no longer recall if he ever _really_ thought the Hero was mute, or just a warrior of few words. He vaguely recalls snippets of conversations where Zelda told him that "Link" said something or other, but not ever hearing Lyn speak before now still made it startling. The question makes Lyn frown, and Revali wonders if he touched on a sore subject. "Sorry. You don't have to answer that."

Another shake of the head. "Kind of want to. Heh. Same problem. Don't know how."

The flames continue to crackle, but Revali waits while Lyn tries to sort out the thoughts into words. After a long time, she takes a breath and starts.

"My family.. was part of the tribe of Faron horsemen. Live by the lake grasslands, and in the jungle. Heh, wait 'til you see me in my barbarian armor," Lyn flashes Revali a grin, and he sits up straighter, because he has absolutely no idea what that is or why it's amusing and in what manner it's amusing, but that was an unexpected expression. But the grin fades as Lyn continues. It seems that, after years of keeping a silence, the floodgates to her thoughts have opened as well as her feelings.

"When we were twelve, Father took my brother to the castle to train to be a knight like him. Mother and I stayed in the forest. When they'd visit, I'd spar with my brother... with Link."

 _Oh, no._ Revali knows that any story involving Lyn's family where Lyn is the last one standing won't end happily, but a pit of dread sinks into his stomach and twists uncomfortably all the same.

"We were pretty much the same. Not surprising for twins. Of course, I caught Epona before he caught Vulcan, so I was better at mounted archery." A wistful smile crosses her face for a moment. "But one time when they came back, there was an outbreak of Zonai fever."

".. Zonai fever?"

A dark expression crosses her face. "A fever, but one where the person who gets it coughs up a lot of blood. Not many survive. If you do, you're safe for life. I had it as a kid, same with Father. Mother and Link..." she sucks in a ragged breath and closes her eyes.

Revali keeps absolutely still. "When was it? How long ago?"

"Link had just become a full knight. Was going to go to the Forest to take the Sword's trial right after visiting us."

"... And you went in his place," Revali concludes quickly. "I'm... sorry."

Lyn seems to hunch in on herself a little more. "I was sad... and scared. Who was going to save Hyrule if Link was gone? Why had he left everyone like that? Why had he left _me_? I wanted to be angry, I wanted to _do_ something. I thought... I had to try. I _needed_ to do something. So... I left the next day. I don't really remember getting there. I just remember standing before the Sword, with the Great Deku Tree telling me that 'no manner of deceptions would work' on it, just praying to the Goddess, _please, I know I'm not Link, I know I'm not the Hero, but there is no one else, I need to do something, I can't just sit back and watch the Calamity ruin Hyrule_. And then I just... pulled the sword out. I felt the spirit's presence... like it couldn't pass a judgment about the situation, but she accepted me."

She takes a shaky breath. "That's when Father caught up to me. He looked so worried until he saw the Sword. He didn't try to deter me after that. So.. we moved our belongings to Hateno Village. Nobody knew us there. We waited for a few weeks, training as hard as we could... And then..."

Another sigh. "And then Father and Link returned to the Castle, with Link all but struck mute by the tragic deaths of his mother and sister."

Revali weighs his reply carefully before responding. "But.. why come up with the deception in the first place? The Sword accepted you, as you said. Even if you were not the Hero everyone expected, you're the Hero that the Sword chose, and that makes you the Hero of the legends ... Given that you saved the world from Calamity Ganon, there's no higher proof that you're worthy of the title."

"The truth would have just caused confusion. Hurt morale. If the soldiers knew that the person they thought was the Hero had died, they wouldn't have continued training as hard. They would have been defeated long before the fight began. Some of them managed to survive because they believed Link was out there, fighting."

"But _you_ , you _were_ out there fighting," Revali insists, trying to stem his budding frustration. "Even if they had been surprised, you said yourself you are just as capable a fighter as he was. It doesn't make a difference-"

He cuts off the thought there, because he realizes, _it doesn't make a difference_ _ **to me**_ , and he wonders if that's true. Part of him wants to believe it. Part of him doubts he's really that... understanding. Given that he's an idiot and a giant, unabashed, color-clashing peacock.

"We were under a lot of pressure," Lyn simply repeats. "No time to explain. The King agreed. I didn't even want to tell Zelda. I was scared it might hurt her efforts. I still think I did. And Goddess, _Mipha_ -" Lyn hisses in a breath and bites down on a silent sob, burying her face in her hands again. It takes her several minutes to compose herself. "We visited Zora's Domain so many times as kids, we played with Mipha and Sidon all the time. Mipha... Link... They _loved_ each other, Revali. And then I had to go and tell her that he died in suffering, that we had to burn his body, that she couldn't even hold a funeral because no one could know right then, that she had to pretend I was her bethrothed until one day after we'd defeated this stupid, fucking _Calamity_ and we could all just be free to breathe and try to move on-" Her fists clench as she fights for composure.

Revali swears he's never going to underestimate Mipha again. He reaches to pat Lyn on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lyn. I really, really am," he murmurs quietly. "For everything. I had no idea. And I treated you so callously... from the beginning." He'd never known Link, he realizes. And he's guilty of a lot of ill emotions that Lyn really never deserved to have thrust at her. He has a lot to make up for.

"It's fine," she replies, but since they both know it's really not, she just continues. "I was fine with it. I was okay being Link. It meant I didn't really need to say goodbye to him. Even when we finished the Calamity, I held on, because he had become so important to me. Father died at Akkala, I heard. I didn't want to really let go of Link then. All the time I was fighting, I could use his armor, and the armor Mipha made for him, and pretend he was by my side, watching over me. Because if I didn't believe, then it was just me and Epona... And now..." There's glistening in her eyes again, so she bites down on her lip and falls silent. Revali scoots a little closer and wraps a wing around her shoulders. They watch the stars for what seems like hours, letting the throbs of heartbreak roll over them and slowly offer them a moment of reprieve.

* * *

In the end, they don't even bother with the stable reservation. The stable staff are slightly bemused and offer a refund, but the two Champions merely restock some supplies with Beedle (seriously, Revali thinks, what is up with him showing up everywhere so quickly? And with that huge bag, no less? At least he had the tact not to ask questions), and continue on their way just as the sun begins creeping into the sky.

Lyn keeps up the same pace as yesterday, and Revali braces himself for another day of sore feet, but they quickly leave the thick growth of Faron behind them. The Rito champion savors the easy tread of the path and the relatively stoic scenery (admittedly, the Stalnox skeleton at the edge of the woods makes him double-take). Talking to Lyn has given him a lot to run through in his mind, and Lyn is absorbed in her own thoughts. Sometimes he asks a stray question and gets a short answer, and other times Lyn volunteers a fact or two, or fragments of a story. About the monster fortress she stormed on Aris Beach, or the absolute killing she made gambling in Lurelin Village, or the couple she helped set up at the Lovers' Pond right up there on Tuft Mountain, or that Yiga member, disguised as a traveling salesman, who seemed to care more about Mighty Bananas than his clan's mission.

They stop in Lurelin briefly at midmorning, and Revali has to admit that despite the balmy tropical temperatures, he could see himself returning here to get some quiet time. Once again, he sees that Lyn made plenty of friends, and one family of four convinces them to stay for some seafood paella, and Revali is glad that Lyn has a weakness for children's puppy eyes. He is definitely returning to Lurelin after that meal.

They set off north to Dunsel Plateau and hike over the highland to reach the paths that lead to Hateno. The trek keeps them occupied enough, and once again, they spend most of the walk in silence. Upon reaching the paths, Revali is relieved to see the signs of the village in the distance, because as he feared, the second stint was not kind to his feet. The remainder of their journey is relatively mundane until they hear a pair of screams from the woods.

"It sounds like travelers in trouble," Revali offers, drawing his bow.

"Yep," Lyn replies, almost flippantly. Revali glances over at her as she unsheathes her sword, and he swears he saw her roll her eyes.

It's not until after they've laid waste to the Bokoblins lurking in the woods just outside the village that Revali understands, because apparently the two sisters they've rescued have a really bad habit of getting attacked during their searches for hearty truffles. So much so, that Lyn has apparently taken to offering quite a few to Nat every time they cross paths, in an equally-apparent futile effort to keep them home and out of trouble.

Revali suspects that Nat sees this as positive reinforcement rather than a deterrent, and the expressions on Lyn's and Meghyn's faces imply that they agree with him.

The Champions see the two sisters off, with Revali getting in a stern word directed at Nat to be more careful, in the hopes she might actually listen, and then they come to Hateno. Revali knows that Purah and Symin have their research lab here, and he can see it distantly at the top of the hill; but as they are at the Castle, he sees no reason to stop in on them. He has to admit that the village is quaint and easygoing. Because of Zelda's power awakening at that fateful hour at Fort Hateno, the Guardians never managed to rampage past the fort, and the villagers weathered the years of Calamity in relative peace. Women gossip, men work their fields and trades, and several children run and play until the sun sets low enough for their mothers to call them in. Lyn briefly stops in at their general store to get some supplies, and then she leads Revali to a house at the edge of town, so isolated from the rest that it's separated by a cliff and a river.

It's a pretty sizeable house even for homes in this village, and there's a sign out front marking it as "Link's", along with some trees and flowers that offer tasteful seclusion. The inside is no less impressive. There's a cozy-looking bed on the second floor, and there's a large table dominating the first floor, and each of three walls proudly displays an array of bows, swords, and shields. It is clearly the dwelling of a seasoned warrior, and in a paradoxical way it exudes the sense of being both well-lived in and strangely empty.

Before he can think on the matter further, Lyn puts some of her groceries down on the table and studies her place for a long moment.

"Well..." she sighs. "We're home."

End Chapter 7

* * *

Being a long-time enthusiast for Puella Magi Madoka Magica means that "And I'm Home" is playing in my head right about now, as well as "Safe and Sound" by Landon Austin.

Lyn's backstory is mostly based on my headcanons for what Link's backstory might be.

In researching Malanya/BotW horses, I came across the joke that the large horse is Ganon's. Given that Ganon has been a Malice-fueled Calamity for at least 10,000 years, I'm quite impressed at the horse's lifespan. I named him Goliath and thought I was soooo original until I saw a let's-player also use that name. Next time I will name him YugeBigly. And as for "Link's Horse", I thought about headcanon-naming it Valkyrie, but that was even more of a stretch than Vulcan, and I was really just looking for a strong name.

I imagine that the Rito get sore walking long distances, because even though they have tough feet, they fly more often than not. And even if you're a human who walks a lot, try trekking from one end of Manhattan to the other in the space of a couple hours and you'll have sore feet too. I know from experience.

I anticipate maybe two or three chapters remaining after this one.


	8. Strange Journeys and Champions

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

Sat 2017/06/03: Enjoy your first weekend of June, everyone! In this chapter, we have LOTS AND LOTS OF DIALOGUE. YUM YUM. Oh and Revali becomes a real boy! ... Man. I mean man.

* * *

Chapter 8: Strange Journeys and Champions

They spend a week in Hateno Village, and for Revali it feels much longer, in a strange but also comfortable way. He overhears the town's resident gossips, comes to know most of the villagers by name, and even gets roped into playing with some of the children. He's thrilled to show off the Great Eagle Bow, and his skills, to the easily impressionable Nebb. He's far less thrilled about getting roped into doing the Bolson Dance with Aster. Revali's just grateful Lyn doesn't have the Sheikah Slate, because when she saw the spectacle, she had to step away with repressed laughter.

Over the course of the week, they spend time clearing out some Bokoblins from the adjacent woods and the tall grasses along the path leading to the Fort, defeating the Stone Talus by Nirvata Lake, and culling the wildlife in Retsam Forest at the request of some of the farmers. After the last job, Revali realizes just how much camaraderie Lyn seems to have built up everywhere, and he's more than a bit stunned, and a little envious. She has friends wherever she goes. No sooner does he think that than the chiding voice reminds him that _friends are what she needs, and she worked for these relationships instead of acting high and mighty like he had_.

He says nothing but turns the thought over in his mind as they collect their weapons and retire back to Lyn's house for the evening. They take turns roasting meat and fish skewers on the pot while they sit and watch the sun set and the fireflies come out. "It's very... peaceful here. It feels like home, like you said. Reminds me of when I was a kid, to be honest," Revali volunteers.

Lyn glances up curiously, but since she's got a juicy steak skewer, Revali forges on ahead while his carp simmers. "Well, I like Rito Village a lot. It is my home, after all. I have friends back there. My mother spends more of her time in the south of Tabantha but it's easy enough to visit when we can fly. And when I was just a chick, the Village was all I knew. A small, safe world. This village has a lot of the same feeling."

Lyn ponders for a moment before responding. "You think you'd like to live someplace like here?"

He leans back and stares towards the sunset, wondering about what living a simpler life would be like. If he were just Revali instead of the great Revali, Champion of the Rito. He certainly wouldn't be a renowned warrior, and he probably wouldn't have traveled much despite his ability to. He cherishes slow times like this, but given everything he's seen and done up to this point, he would probably look for some excitement in his life. He glances over at Lyn and notices she's studying him somewhat intensely, so he comes up with a response.

"I think... a place like this would be nice to come back to. But I probably couldn't stay put." He admits. "Too much wanderlust."

"Zelda talks about restoring Hyrule to its former glory, and maybe beyond that," Lyn muses. "I wonder what's _beyond_..." And the way she wonders, it's clear that she could see herself going there, to find out what's in the rest of the world.

"When I was young, my father flew off to see what was there," Revali admits. "But he never came back." Lyn blinks in surprise, but before she can comment on it, the Rito warrior continues. "Of course, I'm not sure if he's gone, or if he's still out there, beyond, and the world is just that amazing. Sometimes I wonder if I should go there myself."

"... You think you would?"

Revali deliberates again, but Lyn has that intense-stare thing going again, and he hedges. "It's a possibility. I love traveling, and I want to see things others haven't seen before. As a Champion, I've fulfilled my duty..." As he says it, a weight of obsolescence seems to descend on him, so he keeps his beak moving even as a chill of horror and something like grief goes down his spine. "... and although I still have obligations in Rito Village, I have much more flexibility now. And given the chance to see more of the world... well, I might take it." He checks Lyn's reaction again and finds a mix of the intensity as well as a sudden distance. "And you? You've crossed this land more times than most can imagine. I would think that for you, even a land as vast as Hyrule would seem small one day."

"... Possibly," she admits. "I hadn't given it much thought..."

But now, of course, both of them are.

"Are you sure you want to set out for the Castle tomorrow?" Revali asks, as much to steer the subject away from this strange brink as anything else.

"It's been a while. We should head back. There's still a lot to do," Lyn says, not sounding entirely convinced herself. She stares out where the sun had set, to give way to the smouldering violets of late dusk. Then she stands up and stretches. "Come on, let's head in and get out early tomorrow."

Revali stands with her in full agreement, mostly because he has a sinking feeling that both of them will lie awake well into the night, strung along by uncomfortable thoughts of beyond.

* * *

They push themselves to the limit and, by keeping up a brisk pace, manage to get to Riverside Stable by the time night falls. Both of them are still consumed by their thoughts, and they rest without much conversation. At the first morning light, they set out, and reach the rebuilding site of Castle Town well before noon. Somehow, their arrival is not met with any fanfare - possibly because they arrived on foot. Revali and Lyn find chores that keep them out of the way but occupied, and it's only after lunch, when they are working on the foundation for what will become a public library, that the other Champions hurry over to meet them.

Zelda seems slightly indignant. "You didn't tell me you had returned!"

"My apologies," Revali replies, surprised by her reaction. Zelda pulls Lyn into a hug while giving her a small scolding on how she didn't need to rush off like that, Daruk and Urbosa step up to give her a pat on the shoulder, and Lyn looks pretty surprised by all of the attention, but Mipha hangs back looking fairly uncertain. The Hero is stuck in what amounts to a royal bear hug until Revali manages to catch Lyn's eye and subtly gesture over to Mipha with his beak. Comprehension dawns, and Lyn gently shrugs Zelda off to approach Mipha, who seems hesitant to speak to Lyn.

They're silent for a few moments. But then Lyn says, "... I... I'm... I know you tried, Mipha. Please don't blame yourself."

the Zora princess blinks for a long moment, and then slowly pulls Lyn into her own hug. "I'd... like to just talk, for a little bit," Mipha whispers.

"... Yeah," Lyn replies, and the two of them look over at the other Champions. "See you in a bit."

The other four are left watching the two walk off, and Revali is pretty sure they're going to catch up on all of the things that they've left for dealing with after the Calamity. Probably Link, and their families, and what could have been, and how they can pull themselves up from the ashes of despair and try to find the spark to light the way to a better tomorrow.

"-have a lot to catch up on," Revali returns to the conversation to hear Urbosa saying as much.

"I hope they'll be able to... move on, I suppose, is what I'm trying to say," Zelda says softly. "You're right. We have to seize the opportunities that the future presents us with."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Urbosa says with her usual wisdom, weathered yet warm. "But we have tasks to attend to." After a few more pleasantries, the group begins splitting off to see what they can accomplish today, and Revali stays behind for a few long minutes before flying off someplace to be alone. Right now, he needs to think.

He finds himself in what had once been a meticulously groomed park, alternately polishing his bow and attempting to tidy up the place, mostly in order to feel like he's doing something useful while he attempts to bring some order to his thoughts. Because he needs to define how he views Lyn now, so that he's not a gigantic unabashed color-clashing peacock in the future. Or at least, as little of one as it's possible for him to be.

Before the Calamity, he was Revali, the greatest warrior among the Rito. The Sheikah had come to Rito Village one day with a message for Elder Kaneli. They spoke of a prophecy of doom, and of the need for four Champions to pilot ancient mechanical wonders against the Calamity. Kaneli summoned Revali and awed him with tales of this prophecy and the majesty of Vah Medoh and the chance to pilot this Divine Beast. And then Revali learned that he was playing second fiddle to the youngest Hylian ever chosen to captain the royal guard. So what if he had skill? So what if he had the sacred sword? Revali had skill and his Great Eagle Bow. He could do more than play support. And he made sure Link knew it too. Even after being attacked by one of Ganon's minions and choosing to temporarily adopt the form of a spirit in order to keep the Windblight from terrorizing his people, and even after Link had helped him overpower the Windblight, Revali still felt shafted, in a way.

Part of it was jealousy. And a burning shame that he had been wrong, even if he will never admit it.

But then, of course, Revali decided that Link makes for an easy goading target, and comes to the conclusion that spying on him in the desert is a good idea, and discovered quite by accident that Link is not exactly who Revali always thought he was. He remembers the surprised look on Lyn's face. And he remembers the first single lightning-quick thought about how she's soft on the eyes, and the beginnings of a flirtatious thought. For someone who, until about five seconds before that, he would have been content needling his entire life.

It's not his proudest moment.

Yet he has to face up to the fact that on some level, he _does_ think of Lyn differently than he does Lyn-as-Link. He _does_ think Lyn is beautiful, and that _did_ contribute to the change in his opinion at first. It's shallow. He doesn't like it. And it burns because he can't change this fact.

But, he remembers, he didn't really consciously start to think about this until _Bozo_ opened his mouth and started shamelessly flirting with Lyn. And then Revali got irritated, and he got irritated because he was on some level jealous, because he didn't like thinking about Lyn considering dating someone like that, but he wouldn't mind it if Lyn considered... spending more time with him. As friends or fellow Champions or something. Because Revali is pretty wonderful.

Goddesses, thinking about all this reminds him why sometimes he doesn't like Feelings. Turning over his own pile of personal baggage he'd rather keep buried isn't enjoyable even when he has the luxury of privacy. He shakes himself out of that mindset. Fine; he wouldn't have been role model of the year back then. What about after that?

After that, he might have been a little too protective. A little too chivalrous where it wasn't needed. Yes, he should have known better, given that Lyn was the one to defeat the Calamity almost single-handedly; why in the world did he think for a moment that she would be in mortal danger from a Lynel when she was in top form? His feelings were clouding his judgment. All warriors need support, the assurance that their fellow warriors have their backs, but not coddling or a misplaced need to defend their fellow warriors against absolutely everything.

He wonders, with a nauseating thrill, if his interference... contributed to Epona's demise.

He has to shake off that thought too, because it already has him chasing more nervous thoughts down a thousand alleys. If it's true, he has no idea how he's going to live with himself, much less look Lyn in the eyes again. He rationalizes - because even though this was how things were, he can never know how things might have been. He can't think about it, _can't think about it_ , think about something else-

-Maybe Malanya. That has to count for something, right?

What about how he actually helped when it was needed? He didn't let her bear yet another burden by herself. And the traveling afterward... he would do it all again, a hundred times, a thousand times. Because it is _nice_ to travel with Lyn, and fight monsters together, and have somewhere safe that somewhat resembles home to return to. ... The thought of home... with Lyn... is... Is he allowed to spend long days getting into unbelievable situations with her and long nights reminiscing about them with her? Has he... 'grown up' enough, to warrant wanting that? He hopes so. Because even if he was a peacock, even if he still is a peacock, even if it's wrong, he still... really... _really likes_ Lyn.

Feelings are tiring and scary but sometimes really nice but also kind of awful.

Maybe he should talk to someone about this.

* * *

Urbosa is evil. That's why Revali picks her first.

When Urbosa is off on her own, meditating at the Sacred Ground, he catches her just as she's about to leave. "I want to talk to you," he practically demands.

One of Urbosa's eyebrows practically disappears into her hairline, because Revali never wants to speak to any of the Champions by himself, one-on-one. Especially her, since she's "evil" or some other nonsense. "And what would you like to talk about?" she says, although she has a pretty good idea.

"Lyn. I... think I'm falling in love with her."

Urbosa actually falls over.

"Wha-?!" A few feathers go flying as Revali tries and fails to catch Urbosa, but the Gerudo Champion doesn't seem injured - in fact, it doesn't seem like she's registered the fall at all. She openly gapes at him. "Goddess, Revali, don't startle a woman like that. I thought I was going to have to choke that out of you."

"Excuse me!" Revali puffs up, looking very miffed. "I am perfectly capable of confronting my emotions in a mature manner! I just choose not to most of the time! ... Er."

"... Oh, all right, everything's back to normal," Urbosa breathes a sigh of relief and picks herself up off the ground. "Thank the Goddess."

"Have I told you that I hate you any time in the last day? Because I do," Revali huffs. "Now help me figure out how much of a peacock I am."

Urbosa steadies herself so she doesn't fall again, and pretends that this conversation isn't causing way more vertigo than required, and sits back down, patting the stones until Revali follows suit. "Now," she says once they're settled. "When did you come to think this?"

"Earlier. I was trying to sort through everything. But it's hard." Much like talking to Urbosa. Revali reminds himself that this is why he picked her to talk to first. "But you seem to have been expecting it. And when did _you_ notice this?" he demands a little testily.

"I noticed that you were at least somewhat interested in Lyn way back when we were cleaning all that Molduga crap out of your feathers. You'd never given her a compliment for so much as her noble ability to put up with you before, and then suddenly you were complimenting her singing, which, in your words, was 'very high praise coming from a Rito'. Quite a big jump there, you know. Not subtle at all." Urbosa pauses, looking thoughtful. "The Lynel basically confirmed it though. You certainly never worried about her well-being before."

Revali huffs again and avoids eye contact, but he knows it's true and doesn't bother to dispute that.

"But I knew that you really cared when I saw you go flying after her," Urbosa adds, and her voice is unusually gentle. "That took guts, and a lot of caring, to do."

Revali ducks his head, slightly embarrassed. "So am I a peacock?"

"Obviously," Urbosa chuckles. "But you're a much more tolerable one now."

Revali finds that surprisingly, the proclamation fills him with a sort of relief. He wonders if he can go even further, but he wonders if he's pushing it by trying to get completely out of peacock territory. Urbosa's voice pulls him from his thoughts. "You know, Lyn's never thought of you as a rival, or someone to dislike. Your disdain put her off at first. But I think in some way, she's always considered you a comrade."

Revali thinks back to all of his interactions with the Hero. She had never responded to any of his goading, never seemed to take any of it personally. He remembers traveling across Hyrule. It seems like Lyn can put a name to every face and tell him the story of every person in Hyrule. In a way, she can call anywhere in the land her home, because kindness and courage radiate from her and fill everyone around her with a will to live a fulfilling life. He wonders if he's good enough to ask her to ever be... more than a friend to him. "... Thanks, Urbosa," he finally says.

Urbosa smiles because she has a good feeling about all of this, and doesn't object when Revali takes flight.

He has to consult the next person on his list.

* * *

That next person is Mipha.

He waits for the Zora Champion to return from an errand that took her home, and intercepts her as she swims back to the castle, inviting her to a secluded part of the riverbanks well out of earshot and eyesight.

Mipha looks confused but not suspicious or hostile as she accepts his invitation. For that, Revali is glad, because he's not looking forward to round two of "Mipha Slaps Revali Silly While Berating Him In Front of Castle Town". "Is there something on your mind, Revali?"

"I wanted to talk to you... about Lyn."

Mipha pauses for a moment before a small frown forms on her face, but it's more an expression of confusion than of aggression. "I see."

"And I wanted to apologize. To Lyn, but also to you. She... told me about Link, after I found her."

The frown on Mipha's face wavers for a moment before cascading into a melancholy expression. "I see," she repeats, with a little less confidence.

"It wasn't my business to know. But I wanted you to know that I'm sorry for your loss... and that I think you're stronger than you realize."

"... Thank you, Revali," Mipha murmurs, not without feeling. She closes her eyes for a long moment. "I spoke to Lyn after you two returned. Strangely, it was this that allowed us to come to terms with losing him, in a way. The loss still hurts terribly. But maybe... maybe we can start to move on. Zelda is right. We should not - we cannot - live dwelling on what we have lost, on what we left behind. We have to live looking forward, to the things we can't even imagine yet. Even if... even if some days, it feels like a relentless tide pulling us back. We must believe we can forge ahead."

"... Yeah," the Rito warrior responds quietly.

Mipha looks up at him curiously. "You are trying to help Lyn accomplish that, aren't you?"

"Hm?" That makes Revali pause. He mulls it over. "I suppose in a way I am. My feelings for her have... changed. And grown. I just don't know if... Gah," he sighs, unable to find words for his uncertainty.

"If she reciprocates?"

"... No," Revali says, realizing this truth as he articulates it. "It's... fine, I think, if she doesn't. Even if..." he shakes his head. "I just want her to know I care. That I'm sorry for my past behavior. That she can depend on me when she needs someone to depend on. I just don't know if... if... if it's enough? Or maybe if I'm doing the right thing?"

"Well..." Mipha ventures. "What _are_ you doing?"

"... Great," he mutters. "Now I have to figure that out, too."

* * *

Daruk is next. He catches the Goron Champion at the quarry, when the construction team takes a break for lunch. The rock sirloin doesn't look appealing to Revali, but then again, he's not a Goron. "Could I talk to you for a minute, Daruk?"

"Sure thing, little guy," Daruk chuckles after he gets over his initial surprise. "What's up?"

"Help me think of a present for Lyn."

Daruk coughs on his sirloin. "What?"

"I'm coming up with nothing," Revali groans, flapping his wings for emphasis. "I thought, maybe gemstones or something. But she's got plenty, even diamonds. Same thing with flowers. And I might have made her something when I dealt with the Kargaroks up by Tabantha Village, but it's kind of strange because in Rito tradition it's kind of a- well, anyway, I don't want it to be a stand-alone gift because that might give off the wrong message maybe and it would be better if-"

"Why are you getting Lyn a present?" Daruk blinks.

"Because I like her! A lot!" Revali spits out, maybe stamping his foot once for emphasis.

Daruk's eyes are wider than Revali thought possible. "Man, I thought Urbosa was trying to pull my leg when she said as much," the Goron rumbles. "That desert spa trip really did a number on you, huh?" he grins.

"Yes," Revali grumbles. "And now I need something that says 'sorry I'm such a giant unabashed color-clashing peacock and also you mean a lot to me', so if you have any ideas?"

Daruk scratches his chin for a moment, deep in thought. "Well, what did you get her from Tabantha Village?"

Revali really, really, _really_ doesn't want to show anyone what he collected, but if he does present it to Lyn, it's going to be noticed sooner or later. Besides, Elder Kaneli already got a hoot out of his flustered presentation and it's not like having one or two more people snort in amusement will kill him, so after a moment's hesitation, he withdraws from his pack the present he made. Daruk studies it with more curiosity than comprehension, but as Revali slowly explains, his eyes grow wide.

It is a snowquill headdress in Rito fashion, but in addition to the necessary ruby and down feathers, Revali added a few of his own feathers, and a few of the golden feathers from the Kargaroks' plumage, and the result, even without his usual grandiose preening over his many talents, is striking in its aesthetic contrast and stunning in its beauty. When worn, it will look like an ornate crown on Lyn's head. Daruk's mouth goes wide in surprise, but after Revali explains the significance of golden feathers in Rito courting tradition, he has to pry his jaw off the ground. "Damn, Brother. You have it bad."

"Yes," Revali admits wryly. "But I'm not sure about this..."

"Crafting a thing like that with your own hands says all the things you don't know how to say," Daruk assures him. "That's why the Gorons pay so much attention to the works we make with our hands. Words fade, paper crumbles, but the legacy of the earth endures. This is something you made to last. It's something that will make her think of you every time she puts it on, and it will make her think of how much effort you put into it, and how much you care that compelled you to. Why are you worried?"

"I guess I don't know if it will be the right message," Revali says.

"Whatever the message is will be the right one," Daruk replies sagely. "Stop overthinking things, bird-brain, and give it to her."

* * *

He will. But only after he speaks to Zelda.

When Revali finds her, she's in the middle of a meeting with Robbie and Purah, who insist that they can and absolutely should build and program a smaller Guardian variant to serve as servants around the castle. Zelda shoots him a look that clearly says 'save me'.

So Revali barges in on their meeting squawking about urgency until the two mad scientists go off to give the other Sheikah headaches instead of their Princess, and Zelda quietly whispers _thanks_ while taking generous sips of water and perhaps other beverages in order to stave off a headache.

"I really don't see why Impa and Symin can't keep those two in check," he says.

"I can," Zelda responds dryly. "So, Revali, what do you need?"

"I wanted your opinion about a gift I wanted to give Lyn," he ventures, and a knowing light enters Zelda's eyes. The Rito Champion sighs. "Don't tell me you knew, too?"

"Well, you were quite jealous of that person in the desert. Bozai, I believe?" The light in her eyes twinkles with mirth as Revali's face curdles in disgust.

"I believe it was _Bozo_ ," he corrects, a little overly haughtily, but then he returns to the matter at hand. "There's something I've been meaning to give her, but I'm not sure if she'll like it." Before Zelda can ask, he holds up the snowquill headdress he made himself and once again explains the various accents he's added. Zelda's eyes glow with all the sneaky cunning of a cat and although she says nothing, Revali can practically hear her starting to chant something about how he's _so in loooove_ , so he cuts her off before she has the chance to start. "I mean, the feathers mean that, but I don't necessarily mean it like that - I mean, if she'd like to... I mean-"

"No, Revali, I _don't_ know what you mean, because has anyone told you that you have a hard time with feelings?" Zelda giggles.

Revali is thoroughly unimpressed. "Color me shocked."

"Do you want to court Lyn?"

That stops the Rito warrior in his tracks. "... If she's open to it," he decides, realizing that that's true.

"Then it's fine."

"But... do you think it's her taste? You don't think it's too... Goddess, I don't know... loud? Bold? Attention-catch-y?" All the confidence he had in his work seems to melt at the prospect of actually presenting it to Lyn. He wants her to like it. He wants her to love it. But what if... what if she doesn't? Shit.

"She's not picky at all about style," Zelda reminds him. "The whole reason we even went on that trip to Gerudo City was to let her branch out a little bit more, see if she found some other fashion that she enjoyed. But she tends to favor function over form. If that headdress does what it's supposed to do, she'll love that you made it. And that you made it look so good, just for her. Now stop worrying, bird brain."

Revali groans. "That's exactly what Daruk said," he grumbles, fearing he's picked up his umpteenth less-than-flattering epithet. Why couldn't he just be Champion of the Rito?

* * *

Still, he can't help but feel that there's something more he could do. And he has a feeling he knows what that would be. He spends the rest of the day mulling over his crazy idea before deciding to act on it, and he spends the rest of the evening hedging raised eyebrows and nudges from the rest of the Champions over dinner. (Goddesses, Zelda and Daruk are awful gossips, he can practically _feel_ Urbosa's smirks and Mipha's carefully-hidden giggles, and the Stern Revali Glare (patent pending) sees generous use as he has to constantly cut them off from telling Lyn that he has a gift.)

In the middle of the night, he packs a small bag full of apples and endura carrots and cooks himself some stamina-boosting meals before heading back to Malanya's fountain to answer his urgent question.

The next morning he finds himself flying high over the Faron Grasslands, staking out a herd of wild horses and going over everything the Horse God told him the night before. If he weren't in the middle of flying, he might be kicking himself right now for thinking this was, at all, a viable idea. But he's not turning back now.

Finally, he sees the one he wants. Dark brown coat, black mane, white ankles. Just as Malanya said. He circles overhead.

Goddesses, he's going to be so sore.

Revali freefalls.

End Chapter 8

* * *

Revali is actually a BIG DORK.

There will probably be one or two chapters after this. We are rapidly approaching the end of this journey. I hope you enjoyed it!


	9. Interlude: Memories and Barbarian Armor

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

Sat 2017/06/10: Happy weekend! Enjoy a chapter from Lyn's point of view. Approximately 1 ton of angst and 50 sacks of sugar went into the creation of this chapter, so... oops?

* * *

Interlude: Memories and Barbarian Armor

The next morning when Lyn wakes up in Castle Town, in a small temporary stable, Zelda shakes her awake with a confused expression. "Have you seen Revali? We've been looking for him all morning."

Wait, how late is it? Lyn blinks sleep out of her eyes and internally curses that the sun is so high, but registers Zelda's question. She shakes her head. No, she hasn't seen Revali. Because she's been... you know, _asleep_.

Zelda shrugs. She seems preoccupied. "I just thought he would be around. But nobody else has seen him. Strange... he might have left the town, but he didn't say why, or when he'd be back... Well, if he shows up, let us know?" Lyn nods, and Zelda leaves her to get up and get dressed for the day.

As the former captain of the Princess' guard, it's a bit strange to not take charge of Zelda's security, but between the massive influx of Sheikah and the weakened numbers of monsters and Yiga left in the world, it makes sense that the Princess doesn't constantly need the Hero by her side. Still, it's a bit disconcerting to Lyn. She still feels the need to follow Zelda, on occasion. But when she does, Zelda assigns her some task to get her out and about - for Lyn's benefit, not like she did before, when they were on uncertain terms.

So Lyn lets Zelda usher her out, telling her she needs fresh air and time to relax, and heads out into the fields to hunt and gather... and remember.

* * *

She remembers the first meeting with King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. Her father tells her to stay silent. She keeps her thoughts busy by going over the drills they'd gone through in Hateno Village - not to close a skill gap (Lyn and Link had ever been equals in combat), more to make sure that Lyn can emulate Link's style when "he" returns from visiting his family. She goes over names and faces that she will have to recognize as Link. She recalls floor plans and nuances of etiquette and is thankful that she has the option to be mute.

She remembers kneeling, keeping her eyes on the ground, as her father explains to a grave King their tragedy. She can still hear the King's voice - equal parts disturbed and angry that yet another wrinkle has appeared in their plan to foil the Calamity, but agreeing with their assessment that this deception serves the greater good.

She remembers hearing a choked sob, seeing Zelda dash off, herself eavesdropping later as the Princess confronts the King over allowing an imposter to play the Hero - did he want to doom them all? Zelda confides her deepest fears in Impa. With her own power stubbornly refusing to appear, and the Hero of Hyrule dead before he could raise the darkness-sealing sword, what hope do they really have?

She remembers the icy grip of the same emotions that doubtlessly plagued Zelda - hopelessness, fear, impotent, grieving fury, and dread.

She remembers forcing the iron grip off. She must stand, she must rise, she must fight. Or all of them will die. So she stands, she rises, and she fights.

* * *

She remembers the Champions.

Daruk, who keeps calm in the face of doomsday by maintaining his jovial attitude, putting all of his effort and zeal into mastering his Divine Beast, who assures Link that the Princess will stop resenting him the longer they spend time together.

Urbosa, who worries that the Princess will shirk her guard captain out of frustration, as a short-sighted act of rebellion. She doesn't know Lyn's secret yet, doesn't know all of why Zelda's every waking moment is like a screaming nightmare barely contained in chains that takes every opportunity to snarl, waiting for its moment.

Mipha, who sees Lyn approach Zora's Domain wearing Link's tunic and Link's destined sword, and all of her smiles and congratulations meant for Link at freeing the Master Sword disappear as she looks up into the Hero's grave expression and finds Lyn there instead, and the understanding that something terrible has befallen her love makes her sink to the ground in disbelief, and then sob with heartbreak.

Revali, who keeps his distance and only chooses to meet with the Hero shortly before they all traveled to Lanayru, who is either ignoring the Hero with clear disdain or antagonizing 'Link' with challenges and thinly-veiled insults suggesting that the Hero has more political sway than martial skill.

She remembers not knowing how to feel about Revali. Does she dislike him, to reciprocate his clear dislike of her? Does she show empathy at Revali's frustration that he wants a larger role to prove himself a great warrior? Does she feel somehow more authentic knowing that winning Revali's respect will require more than pomp and circumstance? She remembers not knowing, but never resenting him. Because she knows that when the Calamity rises, he, too, loves Hyrule like she does, and they will stand together as guardians of the light before falling to the Malice.

* * *

She remembers the Calamity erupting. She remembers charging to meet it headlong.

She remembers the Guardians, swarming not to their aid but to rain death upon them, instead of their true enemy.

She remembers feeling true fear. The fear that, after everything she fought for, every trial she overcame, every feeling of doubt about whether or not she could do this, she would not be the Hero and Hyrule would be lost to history and malice.

She remembers running, holding Zelda's hand and guiding her away from the corrupted castle.  
She remembers shielding the Princess. She remembers a surge of pain, a swell of fatigue, and darkness.

She remembers waking up. She remembers not remembering everything.

But not everything is lost. It takes some nudging from the old man, but she recognizes him. The King's story - she knows it, she remembers living it, only some bits have scattered to the wind, and he looks relieved. He tells her Impa will know more, and then provides her the tools she needs before vanishing into ether at light of dawn. Impa guides her to Hateno and back and gives her clues as to where to piece together the rest of the puzzle, the bits of fog that hang over her memory. She goes searching.

* * *

She remembers the long journey afterwards.

How many years did she spend crossing Hyrule, seeking out shrines to gain power, recovering her strength, finding the Master Sword once again, aiding the citizens of the war-torn land, freeing the Champions from their Divine Beasts so they could once again pilot them in the hope that they could defeat the Calamity?

So many years, it seems. The Hero knows Hyrule's every winding path, every stable, every face, every monster, every weapon, every shrine, because she had to cross it all time and time again. With no one to offer her guidance, no one to provide information or even the smallest hint, no one to lean against when everything became exhausting and hopeless. How many times did she get caught in a cold, relentless rain at night, forcing her to rush for what barely passed as shelter beneath a tree while hoping no monster was already using it, to curl up and try to get a sliver of a sad excuse for sleep, only to be roused as thunder split the sky and forced her to run yet again? There were no comforting voices, just the impersonal beeping of Zelda's strange Sheikah Slate.

But she continued, because she had to, because she was Hyrule's last hope.

And then she remembered the Champions, one by one.

Mipha, with her love for Link, resolves to fulfill her duty even in the face of heartbreak.

Urbosa, who bows to the sandstorms but does not let them break her, rises with resilience for their final battle.

Daruk, eager for his moment, relishes every day of life.

Revali. Revali, who finally acknowledges her.

She remembers their final battle, storming the castle in all its horrible corruption, making her way to the sanctum, standing in awe as the Divine Beasts unleash a fury that could make the heavens cower, and then the maniacal, suicidal, exhilarating thrill of going up against the manifestation of pure evil not once, but twice, and emerging the victor. She remembers the fatigue, deeper than her bones, deeper than her spirit, all the way down to the core of her soul. She remembers slowly beginning the long reconstruction.

She remembers feeling like it's just another battle in a life of nothing but battles, and wants to scream.

* * *

She remembers Gerudo City, and how she let Zelda and Urbosa and Mipha convince her that she deserves this rest and relaxation, that she deserves this chance to let go of Link for a little while. She remembers sitting in the spa, worrying about this haircut she's about to get.

She remembers hearing Revali's voice. She remembers Revali's face. Morphing from smug preening to dumbfounded surprise to something borderline mortified... to covered in hydromelon juice and rinds.

Lyn blushes as she remembers this part. But she cannot _completely_ discard her pride - after all, that was a priceless reaction. And a good throw.

She remembers wondering what Revali will think of her when he wakes up. She remembers feeling blindsided when he paid her a compliment. A high compliment, according to him. She remembers not knowing how to interpret it. Does he... like her? Maybe he's finally, finally coming to see her as more than a rival... as a friend. She... likes the thought.

She remembers that she hoped it's true.

* * *

She remembers the Lynel, in the way that all Faron warriors in their battle-rage remember their fallen opponents. She remembers her terror at Epona's injury. She remembers feeling angry at Revali for scolding her for her recklessness. Hah - she grew up in the jungles where all the members of the tribe catch their horses as children, forge their own armor from fell beasts by adolescence, and protect the weaker townsfolk from harm.

But she remembers beyond that.

She forces herself not to remember the horrible realization that Epona was not going to make it. It felt like being hit by the Boulder Breaker and falling over the edge of Tanagar Canyon, only without the reassurance that there is a bottom to end the misery - there will only be falling, falling, falling, into deeper darkness, deeper loneliness, deeper despair, and there will never be reprieve from the vortex.

She remembers forcing herself not to panic, not to cry. To head to Malanya's Spring.

And she remembers Revali, right there, looking almost as pained as she feels, wings open for her. Knowing that, warrior to warrior, she means the world to him, just as she threw everything she had at Windblight Ganon in order to free him from its grasp. In the smallest way possible, in the most meaningful way possible, he made everything slightly less worse, and she is grateful.

He was so warm, and she felt reassured that she could feel safe in her weakest moment.

She remembers the shift in the state of the world at that moment. Realizing that she will always count Revali among her closest friends, and never let him go.

* * *

She remembers traveling with Revali. It has its own flavor, distinct from migrating with her family, crossing Hyrule with Zelda, or traveling around Lanayru with the Zora Royal Family. They're both quiet, Revali tries to pretend his feet aren't killing him, they cross the country within a couple of days, and they stop for a week in Hateno. She remembers trying to fully appreciate Revali at her house, in her adopted village. How he interacts with the children, helps the villagers, and spends the nights with her.

She remembers how she felt her heart skip a beat for him during their last evening cookout outside her house. How he looked out at dusk over Hateno Village. His dark plumage looked very striking against the fire of the sunset, with his green eyes narrowed more in thought than to glare. He appeared very.. dignified.

(For once.)

She remembers a sudden cold wash of dread when he picks up her mentions of _beyond_. When he speaks of his father, vanishing to the west. When he entertains the idea of maybe, someday, following.

The Champions have done their duty. That chapter of their lives has closed. Something must fill the void.  
Would he leave Hyrule in search of his next great adventure?  
Would he leave _her_?

* * *

Lyn stops gathering mushrooms as the cold dread creeps over her once again.

She doesn't want Revali to leave her. Because she has fallen so, so hard for him.

The Hero doesn't know if she would go with Revali to beyond. She loves Hyrule. She knows Hyrule so intimately now. Hyrule is vast and fruitful and nurturing and Hyrule is _home_. But she doesn't need to be the Hero now. She needs to find herself again - who is Lyn, at her core, beneath the layers that call her The Hero and the Hylian Champion and the sister of Link? Does she need to return to carefree days in the villages? Does she need to return to breathless days adventuring in the wild?

She wants Revali with her. If he goes, she might follow.

A shock of urgency goes through her. She needs to tell Revali how she feels.

Suddenly the central field seems impossibly big. Can she do something to let him know how she feels? Can she find him something?

She starts searching.

* * *

Night falls, and Lyn calls off her search for the time being. She heads to the campfire where Zelda and the rest of the Champions have set up a pot so they can eat and chat together, and plops down silently, munching on some of her fresh catches while trying to decide how to get one of them alone so she can ask them what she should do next.

Is Revali planning on leaving soon?

...Is Revali gone already? Did he leave without saying goodbye to anyone? To her?

 _Can't think that, not now._

Lyn represses that thought and resolves to pull Zelda aside after their meal, but no sooner does she resolve this than she gets roused from her thoughts when Urbosa, who had been in a relaxed recline against Daruk, stiffens. The Gerudo Champion's eyes go wide and she actually drops her skewer, and that's enough for the rest of the group to startle and turn around.

Lyn follows suit, and when she looks up she stops breathing.

Revali is marching towards them looking like he's just come back from battling the Scourge of Vah Medoh all over again, but with him is a horse - a very familiar horse.

Link's horse. Vulcan.

Lyn makes a choked sound in her throat as she scrambles to her feet and hurries to meet him, and she notices that one of Revali's eyes is partially swollen. She tries to say something- anything- but the words refuse to come. Revali doesn't quite meet her eyes, but after a long moment of silence, he clears his throat.

"I... Malanya told me the tradition of the Faron horsemen. To return their horses to the wild."

Yes, they do that. Lyn's mind swims. In order to keep their horses as primed by the wild as possible, the horsemen release their horses to breed without domestication. When a warrior falls, his or her horse returns to the wild herds. That more than anything else had been the twisting of the knife after losing Link, knowing that they needed to let Vulcan go. But Revali...

"You found him?" Lyn manages to gasp, despite the obvious fact that yes, he had.

Revali nods. "Put up quite a fight, too," he mutters, glancing down at his battered state.

Thoughts race around like a hurricane, and in a daze Lyn takes an apple and offers it to Vulcan. The stallion sniffs the apple, and her hand, and accepts the food without question, even going so far as to nudge her hand with his nose.

He remembers...

"I... didn't want you to be so unhappy. You still have family, Lyn."

Her eyes shoot up. The Rito warrior is glancing away, as though embarrassed he said that, worried as though it wasn't right, but something settles into place for Lyn. A weight suddenly lifted, a swelling of relief and pure joy, of knowing yes, I'm never truly alone, not with Vulcan, and not with someone like Revali- _Revali!_

She feels a lump in her throat. She feels her eyes stinging. But this time, she's on the verge of laughter, not sobs.

Before he can so much as squawk, Lyn pulls Revali into the biggest hug she's ever given and plants a kiss right on the tip of his beak. Revali stiffens, and there's some vague noises of shock-and-awe reaction from behind, but after a moment the Rito relaxes and wraps his wings (warm, soft, safe, _love_ ) around her.

And suddenly, everything feels exactly right.

End Chapter 9

* * *

So I don't know about you but after reading over that last part I think I'm on the fast track to diabetes.

One more chapter guys. :D Which is... currently a challenge. I'm basically a foreigner to fluff.


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